The Daisy List
by Imperial13
Summary: Jack is dying. No one seems to care. And frankly Jack just wants a little bit of peace in his final few days. Then suddenly everyone cares. Everyone wants him to live. And Jack just can't...maybe if Chase said those words Jack needed to hear...CHACK
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. All credits go to the rightful creator and owner. **

**xoxo**

**AAAAA**

It was the sterility of the walls and the ceiling, the lights from the fluorescence, and the smell of nothing that always made Jack Spicer hate the doctor's office. But he knew that not going to the routine checkups would hurt him more than help him…so every time he got a note from his doctor saying "Come on in!" He swallowed his fear and held his breath.

But he was starting to need air. It had started normally, just some of the regular health tests; but then Dr. Jackson left the office and came back with an entirely new stack of papers. And then it had begun. This was the reason that he hated the doctor's office, and why he hated medical shows. It was always the same, they'd find one small thing that wasn't wrong, (and in Jack what wasn't wrong?) and they'd freak out.

And so they ran tests, and more tests, and more, until three hours had passed. Finally the doctor came back into the office and sighed, dropping Jack's folder onto the sterile counter top and putting his hands on either side.

Jack knew that sigh; it was the same sigh his parents always gave him when they were all together. It was disappointment. It was world-weary. It was hopeless.

"I'm going to die soon aren't I?" Jack's voice held no quiver, no fear, just fact. This was the inevitable; apparently his inevitable was coming sooner than most. _How funny. I always thought that could take a beating better than most…I suppose not._

"Yes." The doctor's voice had a quiver, because he didn't like to think that it was inevitable, but there was no way to cure this poor boy. He was falling apart, his muscles were too small and stretched to heal, his bones lacked enough marrow to produce white blood cells, his albinism was starting to ruin his skin and his eyes, and sadly it seemed his brain was too competent for its body, moving too fast, pushing too hard.

"Okay. Well, then…" Jack breathed in and let it out, praying the tears would hold. "I've been in this office for a very long time, Doctor, if you can get me my bill, and write up a report for myself and my parents explaining how and why I'm going to be pushing daises soon, that would be helpful."

Jack slid off the paper covered edge of the high table, and walked over to the doctor, and placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "Doctor…Richard, you've been my doctor for five years now, I'm not fourteen. I can handle it. Just email me the report, okay."

"Yes." The doctor's words were choked, the young man's visits to him over the past flashing before his eyes. He was a good kid, but too odd to be popular, alone and unhappy, but he always held strong, held his own in a beauty and shallow centered world.

From the time when he had been a small teenager sitting alone in the waiting room, lying to the secretary about why his parents weren't there or why he had a huge black eye or a very noticeable limp. To when he walked into the office with his shoulders up and his head held up high, even though everyone saw he was aching on the inside, because no one was there to wish his a happy birthday fifteenth, happy sixteenth birthday, happy seventeenth birthday, happy eighteenth birthday, none of them, from no one.

To just this morning, when he had walked in with a huge smile on his face, thinking that for once he wasn't seeing his doctor to get healed from a Showdown but to have a routine checkup.

A single tear fell onto the manila folder. It was hard to be strong, but for some reason, as Jack took his hand off Richard's shoulder and left the office, he felt as if it was going to be okay, he had a report to write up for Jack, so at least he could be comfy as he slowly died.

**AA**

Jack smiled as Delores (the front secretary of the doctor's office) handed him his papers and then left. He walked down the long narrow hallway of the office passing the multiple doors of other medical persons, quickly, briskly. The dim lights cast shadows everywhere; no one could see his eyes, his shimmering tearful eyes.

As soon as he reached the outside of the office, he activated his hellipack and went up, turning in the director of home. Then the thoughts started, God how he _hated_ being a genius. It was clockwork.

_That idiot doctor must be wrong, I can't die. I'm Jack Spicer, soon to be evil ruler of the world!_

Arrogance and anger.

_Ha! You wish, face it; the doctor was right. We are going to die, soon, hell, from the look on his face and the fucking sigh, not to mention those ridiculous tears…I say we've only got a few weeks: two maybe three. _

Cynical and realistic.

_Well. That's it then isn't it, what to do…I suppose since we're going to be die soon we might as well just sit around and wait for it, clean up the lab, sell of the robots and some of the tech, get rid of the Wu and do nothing but eat potato chips all the do-da-day._

Hopelessness and hurt.

_Or maybe…this is a good thing. Maybe this is actually the answer to what we've needed all along. _

…_explain. _

_Well think about it. We're going to die, which means that we have the final say in it. In everything, we can do anything without consequence. BECAUSE WE'LL BE DEAD!_

Seriously smart and deviously delicious.

_But what can I do, I mean I don't know what I want…a list might work, like in that bad movie with the two old guys…whatever it was called. A list, that's what we will do. I can write down all the things I always said I wanted to do. _

_I'll make it tonight. _

And so as he flew through the air, away from the tall building of the city and into the quit forests of the surrounding areas, he felt himself change directions, gentle turning to the left he felt himself headed towards the center of China towards a rural area known for rice farms, ancient temples, and the last remaining Xiaolin monk training ground.

So he flew over the last mountain range and the valley of the temple came into view, Jack was shaken by a sudden jolt of terror. He stopped, hovering in mid-air, the wind quietly whipping his cloths, his hair, and whispering in his ear.

The fear of going to confess his weakness to the few people who he considered his friends was burning in his mind. What would happen? What would they say? What if the decided to kill him then and there to save the trouble?

But he pushed those fears aside. He couldn't afford to let them beat him again. So he landed in the courtyard of the ancient temple and was greeted by the sight of the master monks all mediating. Master Fung leading them, looking up from his lotus position.

When his eyes met Jack's he slowly rose and walked towards the young man. "Master Spicer, what can I do for you on this fine evening, the monks are inside training if you wish to quarrel. " the man spoke with humor, not the disdain of the young monks, but this man Jack knew understood him more than he let on.

"Yeah…Yeah, I'd like to see them, please?" it seemed only right to be polite to the grand master, he had never done anything wrong to Jack. He might be on the side of evil, but it wasn't an excuse to be rude…well not anymore anyways. _Besides….this old man's going to be around a lot longer than me….I should respect him._

"Follow me." The master spoke in quiet and quick Chinese to the other grand masters who continued their meditation. And soon he was following Fung into the temple.

"I must say Spicer; I have felt this visit coming for a long time. And I am sad to see it arrive." The Master spoke genuinely and Jack felt a small glimmer of gratitude, if the man was lying, it was still kind of him to do so.

"Yeah? That's great, though I really have to ask you how you know."

"I am a very old man who has seen death in his dreams many times; I know the look of it. Sufficed to say, the shadow has followed you for years now."

"That doesn't explain why you care whether I go or not. I am supposedly on the side of Evil remember?"

"The loss of a life is a sad thing no matter what. That and I believe you have taught the young monks more than you think. They do seem to prefer you over any other Heylin warrior."

"That's because they can beat me in a snap." He said with a humorless laugh. "Besides, I'm not sure if you haven't noticed this but I won't be missed too much by anyone."

The elderly man sighed. And he raised his hand to an archway to the next room. "I will miss you Jack Spicer. You are a better soul than anyone knows. The monks are in there. If they give you any problems I will deal with them." The master bowed low and Jack returned the gesture. It was unlike him but, it wasn't everyday you found yourself dying.

"Goodbye, old Master. Thank you." And he walked into the room where the Xiaolin monks were. And a sight to behold was it. The four younger teens were all in a large open space on the upper level of the room. All had out their signature Wu and were having a Battle Royale. They sprang around the room, leaping in the air, twisting and turning. Pulling off stunts of such magnitude Jack felt his death more and more by the second.

Standing in the archway, hidden by the shadows of the stone structure, Jack peered around the room. Down the few steps from where to the monks were battling, sat a table, and cushions. It was closer to Jack. He could probably take a seat at one of the cushions and hope they didn't all try and kill him once they saw him.

Quietly Jack snuck over to the table and took a seat on one of the cushions and watched the monks continue their duel. Through the sounds of clashing magic he heard their laughter and talking.

"You're going down Clay, check it." Raimundo's voice was filled with the adrenaline of a man who held confidence in his power.

"Not today partner. Kimiko you wanna actually fight or have a tea party?" The larger teen was easy going even in the heat of battle. Jack felt the sickening feeling of envy creep through his veins yet again.

"Hello Spicer."

Jack nearly jumped out of his seat and screamed but was somehow able to only flinch at the sound of the greeting. He focused onto the spot where the noise had come from and found the small green dragon, Dojo, tending to the bonsai on the table, a pair of frilly gloves and a hat adorning him as he delicately sheared off excess leaves.

"Hi." He looked back at the monks and sighed. He dropped his head to rest on his knuckles, "I suppose you know to?"

"Yep. You smell like a doctor's office. Badly." The dragon gently wrinkled his snout and gave a quiet huff of distastes. Dojo placed the shears down gently and turned around to look at Jack; resting himself against the pot's edge.

"I'll remember to scrub thoroughly next time." He said dryly, the irony of it heavy enough to make both boy and dragon laugh. "What are they doing?" he flicked his eyes towards the _still _oblivious monks.

"Dish duty." The statement was made without any kind of embellishment.

"Ah."

"Yep." They both looked over at the fighting monks and sat in peace for a moment or two. Then Jack felt a small scale hand rest on his arm. He looked down to see Dojo still watching the monks; not saying anything or doing anything different. But the small comfort was enough to make Jack's eyes water.

It was the strangest thing that he would ever know. Two people who had he had thought hated him, were both grieving for him. And for some reason all those lessons on propriety and civility his mother had beaten into him were surfacing. And he wasn't being his normal annoying public self.

_It's nice to be able to relax and be me for a bit. Even if death is the cost. _

Suddenly he was hit square in the chest with a blast of energy. He flew back and crashed into the wall. His breath was yanked from his body and he felt his bones clank together and his skin absorb the shock. The black spots popped into his vision and the pain rushed through his body.

"Oh fuck that hurts!" He tried to stand and wobbled a bit before the spots cleared. He blinked and was met with the sight of four very angry teenaged monks coming at him. Jack tried his hardest to scramble away but was thrown against the wall again and held there by Clay's massive hands.

"Jack Spicer! What are you doing here?" He looked down to where Omi was standing and tried to draw in a breath to answer but was assaulted with pain. He choked and coughed up blood. The bitter iron taste wasn't new to him but it always made him queasy.

"Can't I visit you losers without being assaulted all the time?" He tried to sound tough and strong but the lack of air and the crushing pain throughout his body made it a lot harder that you would think.

"No, you really can't Jack, so tell us why you're here so we can get this over with, we have stuff to do." Kimiko's tone was bored and hateful. Jack had never particularly disliked her but her disdain of him never made him very fond of her. Besides being a faggot kind of made you allergic to woman as a whole.

Jack felt a flash of pain more intense than any before. And he knew it wasn't because of the monks. Even admitting it even to himself made him hate himself more. _Focus on the current problem Jack, or you won't have a chance to focus on your….bad habits…_

"Look….I can't really breath so if you could just put me….down I would be able to-" he stopped when he saw Master Fung out of the corner of his eye. His eyes me those of the Master and he shook his head. Barely enough to be seen but the Master seemed to pick it up. He glided into the room and sat down on one of the cushions.

"Young Monks….? Why are you choking my guest on the wall?" all four of the monks spun around and faced Fung, Jack fell to the floor and crumpled in a heap and gasped for air. All four monks quickly went to the table and bowed before taking seat across from the Master.

Dojo for his part slithered over to Jack and tried miserably to pull the pale boy up. Jack slowly stood and shook himself before very slowly and cautiously walking over to the side of the table where Master Fung was and sat down next to the man.

"Don't sit there!" Omi shouted at Jack as he sat down. "You worm in the dirt! Don't sit next to Master Fung you are-" He broke off as Fung held up a hand.

Dojo slithered up to the table and sat in the branches of the bonsai, watching the monk before speaking. "Its snake in the grass Omi, not worm in the dirt."

"Thank you Dojo."

"No problem little buddy." He curled himself up tighter and settled back in the bonsai, looking at Jack expectantly.

Catching the look, Jack cleared his throat and looked down at his hands were they lay in his lap. "I've come to…give you all my Wu." He took a peak up through his lashes at the monks. All stared at him with open eyes and shocked expressions.

"Yes young ones, Jack here has seemed to have a change of heart due to his impending-"

"Leaving!" He shot the Master a look that held the hope of keeping his secret. "I'm leaving, moving away from China, going to back to America to…uh…work, as a professor at a college." Jack stumbled a little and tried to look like he believed all the lies he just said.

"You….your leaving?" It was Kimiko that broke the silence. "And…you want us…to keep your Wu? Why not just give it to Wuya….or Chase?" Her tone turned more suspicious at the end.

"I…uhhh….don't feel the need to give it to them, they've been….a bit rude to me in the past if you haven't noticed." He gave an awkward smile, and sent a silent prayer that they'd just take the offer and shut up.

"That's true but….we're not exactly your friends Jack." Raimundo was the one who spoke this time. And of course he was the one that had to crush the small part of Jack that hoped that the monks would care about him…even a tiny, tiny, ity, bity bit.

"I know that! But…..look just come to my lab tomorrow at noon and take all my Wu, I've got a good seven or eight…I've been lucky these past few times." He got up and quickly left the room. As he left he heard all the monks bombard the Master with question after question about what had just happened. _Hopefully they won't tell the monks the truth…_

Once he was outside, he activated his hellipack and took off. Once he was above the temple he gave a sigh of relief. He had survived the Xiaolin temple with only minimal damage. _Okay….next is Chase's lair, and then I can go home and pretend I'm not dying. _

As he flew through the air he hummed a soft tune. This was his favorite invention ever. The hellipack let him feel free and like a bird. When he was flying in the sky there was nothing wrong with the world. _Maybe if I'm even allowed to go to heaven this is what it'll be like…that would be nice._

His belief in God was something that also had always made his parents upset…they, as strong and firm atheists, didn't understand why he believed in Heaven. But they didn't see how much he needed it. How badly the idea of a better life was the only thing that had kept him alive….until now.

_Seems like my luck's run away with my imagination. Ahhh….well, it could be worse….I could be stupid. _He smiled to himself. But the smile dropped and he felt his heartbeat quicken as the giant mountain came into view. 

He gulped and felt his confidence leave his body. _What am I supposed to say to Chase and Wuya? 'hey guys, it's me, I just came to say, no hard feelings right? Well good, oh, by the way, I'm dying. _He shook his head as he landed in front of the massive door. He would keep his impending daisy pushing to himself.

He slipped through the door as quietly as he could and walked down the long dark hallway before entering the majestic foyer. He was always so shocked by how beautiful it was in here, how it felt like a separate world from everywhere else.

His amazement was cut short this time when he heard a rough growl. His eyes darted around until they came to rest on a power tiger slinking towards him, feral eyes looking hungry as ever. Jack took a step back and then another one until he tripped over something and fell onto his butt. Scrambling away he noticed he had tripped on the back of another giant cat.

His breath came in shallow gasps now…more and more of the beasts seem to appear out of every single; and soon the whole pack was surrounding him. His back to a wall and no way of defending himself, he did the only thing plausible; _these cats are still humans aren't they? _

"You…you guys wouldn't want to eat me….I'm dying." Jack saw the cats hesitate, some seemed to look around at the others, questioning his honesty. "It's true….just came from the doctor's this morning, he told me the whole thing, 'you're dying Jack…but don't worry I'm sure you'll have a nice…nice...'" He tried to laugh a little and smile but it got caught in his throat and he couldn't hold himself up anymore.

His slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. The tears wouldn't come so he just sat there. Eyes wet and voice caught in his throat, "come on then, just kill me, get it over with." His voice was barely a whisper.

The cats all regarded him with a pitying gaze, _Christ now the cats pity me. _Cautiously one of them approached him; it placed its nose close to his head and took a sniff. Then another. Then another. Then it turned its head and growled to all the others.

Jack watched with fascination as all the cats backed off, slowly they all started to crawl back into their respective areas…then it occurred to him that they would tell Chase. And he would tell Wuya…and she would tell everyone.

"W-wait!" He cried. All of the cats stopped and turned back to him. Eyes annoyed and questioning.

"Don't….tell Chase. Please. I can't have them knowing." He pleaded with his eyes.

Then, one by one the cats nodded only once, and then they continued to slink away. Jack heaved a sigh of relief and stood up. He brushed his eyes with the sleeves of his coat and started to walk up the colossal staircase that would lead to Chase's and Wuya's main chamber.

When he pushed through the doors he was met with the sight of a very good-looking shirtless Chase and Wuya going at it Kung Fu style. Jack stayed where he was, head and part of the upper body poking through the door way and the other half hidden, in the case of needing to run away.

After about five minutes of waiting Jack lost all of his nerve_….maybe I can come back another time? I mean they're both just so busy right now, I'd hate to be the one that would interrupt them….God they'd both kill me. _

He shuddered and started to pull back when he felt something nudge on his back. He twisted around to see the same cat that had sniffed him, push him forward into the room. "Fine." He muttered, "But if they kill me it's all your fault." He gave one last glare at the animal before slipping into the room and quietly shutting the door behind him.

Instantly both Wuya and Chase stopped moving and sharply turned to face the door, both in attacking positions, poised. Both relaxed when they saw Jack standing there.

Wuya was the one relaxed first, dropping her hands she let her talons fall onto Chase's shoulder blade and gave Jack a smug look. "What brings you here Jack? Haven't you reached your weekly quota of sheer embarrassment yet?" He hated how her words stung.

She dragged her nail across Chase's back as she swayed around him until she was in front of Jack. He hated how she looked. Tall, tanned, red hair cascading sexily around her tight kimono; it just wasn't fair how some people got everything. And Jack got…well, jack shit.

"Leave." He snapped his eyes to meet her; _I'm still shorter than her…ugh. _He gathered his nerves and swallowed.

"No." He didn't step back, he didn't even breath. Waiting to see what she would do. He almost laughed at her surprise. She took a step back and raised a hand. Jack waited for her to strike but instead she merely, waltzed backwards. Without another word.

"Spicer. Now that you and the Witch have had your fun will you please explain to me as to why you've decided to intrude upon my lair. Again?" Chase didn't look at Jack; he actually had said his little speech as he walked over to the sitting area to pull on his shirt.

Jack's eyes followed those rippling muscles until the shirt covered them. He shook his head and calmed himself. _Even if you were dying, which you are, that would be way out of your league, Hell he's out of your world. _The thought sobered him, and he let the weight of his knowledge pull his shoulders down dejectedly.

"I….just came to apologize." Glass shattering pierced the silence. Both Jack and Chase's eyes snapped to Wuya, whose hand was still poised in a position to drink, her cup of tea now in shards on the ground, a look of shock across her face.

She recovered quickly and snapped. Instantly the shards reassembled and placed itself neatly on the table next to the plush chair that she was occupying while the liquid simply…disappeared. She jumped out of the chair and practically ran over to Chase where she gripped his arm.

Another thing Jack had always envied was their little telepathy communication thingy. They didn't even need to speak to convey entire conversations. Had Jack not known Wuya for years and Chase almost as long he would have thought that Chase hated Wuya and she adored him to distraction. Hell he had thought that for a while.

But recently, and now with this little scene he was proven, Wuya and Chase shared a deep bond. Maybe not a sexual one but a bond. Maybe it was their age, or their magic, or their hatred of just about everything but they got along rather well.

Jack fiddled for a minute with his clothing as the two spoke quickly and quietly before he took in a shuddered breath. He glanced away from the two to where Wuya had been sitting a few seconds ago and made a decision.

He slowly walked over to the chair and sat down. He glanced at the small tea cup, now refilled with tea and licked his lips. He hadn't eaten or drunk anything since yesterday morning…working in the lab tended to make him forget everything, and so far it had been a…busy day.

He heard movement and he looked back to where Chase and Wuya were; both walking towards him. He pulled himself closer into the seat as they approached him. Finally when they were within killing range they stopped.

"And you are sorry…why?" Chase asked; his tone suspicious and inquisitive. Jack felt his resolve weaken momentary, but it can back stronger when Wuya opened her mouth and began to speak in a harsh and condescending tone.

"Yes Jack….why in God's name are you sorry? I mean granted we all know your presence is a trial all on its own but still…." Wuya said with a snicker.

"Look. I came to tell you I'm leaving. I'm going back to the States to teach at college. And I wanted to say that….well, I'm sorry for being a pain in your asses." Jack said. With that said he stood and walked towards the door. Quickly.

He was almost out of the room when Chase seemed to materialize right in front of him. He shrieked and cowered under the Evil Lord's stare. He closed his eyes and waited for the strike to come. But it didn't instead he saw Chase just standing there. Looking at him. Waiting for something.

Jack straightened and sighed. "Look, I'm sorry for bothering you, I really just wanted to apologize. That's it. Let me leave now please." He was getting annoyed being stuck here. Between evil's hottest couple. Every second that past he felt his confidence being chipped away.

_Let me go, _he silently pleaded, _let me go home so I can morn. So my parents can rejoice that they can finally have their will changed. Let me go home and die in peace. _When it became clear to him that Chase wasn't moving he quickly walked around the warlord and left the room. He ran down the stairs and past the cats. He felt their eyes bore into his body.

He was almost to the door when he heard the whistle. Instantly the cats moved. They streaked past him and blocked the door, circling around him he had nowhere to go but up. He turned back to see Chase and Wuya at the top of the grand staircase both looking down on him with confused looks.

"Enough games Spicer!" Chase said his word echoing around the room, "tell us what you have done, What insignificant little thing you have once again failed to do. Softening us up with apologies will get you nowhere in the Heylin world."

Jack felt his anger rise, he couldn't stand this, did no one simply want to accept his story. Only now did they give a fig about him. "Nothing! Do you hear me? Nothing, I have done nothing. Excuse me and my sense of politeness but I felt the need to apologize for being such a fucking bitch to you both, but forget it. You can both go cut yourselves and bleed all over this god-damn palace of yours you high and mighty shit head!" he screamed.

As soon as he finished he activate his hellipack he shot upward towards the roof. He hovered there for only second before diving. He curved past the cats and was able to slip right through the door. Once he was out of the lair he headed home.

**AAAA**

**It's been a long time. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Let it continue.**

**AAAA**

He hated his house. Not his home. No his house. It was large and cold and Perfect. No messes. No love. No nothing. The Spicer parents were two very unfeeling people. They both looked at anything as a way of either making money or gaining power. They were cut throat. And they hated Jack.

He had been an oops! baby, his parents rarely slept together much less saw each other however when they had both been cheating on each other with someone else in a hotel room one night with the lights off, (for anonymity), they had woken up to find that they had been cheating on each other, with each other.

But for whatever the reason they kept him. Years of abuse and neglect but they kept him. And once in a while. Maybe once every five years or so, Harrison or Delilah Spicer would do something parental, even loving. Jack's fondest memory was the time when he gone into surgery after a particularly nasty ShowDown to awaken to both his parents in the room quietly watching over him.

For three solid days they had not used their phones or laptops or anything but had giving him attention. They had even laughed together. Jack always loved that memory. He would be sure that it would be the last thing he ever thought of.

When Jack entered his house he found it empty. As always. He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Nothing. And frankly he couldn't be bothered. He needed to start packing his lab up now if he was going to have it all gone by the time the monks showed up tomorrow.

He walked down the stairs to his lab where he was swarmed by bots immediately. After ordering them to step down he called for a meeting. Which meant him and the four or five bots he had installed with administrative hardware.

"Ad-Bots. I want you to activate series code 002." He said. In the seconds that it too the bots to process Jack blinked. When his eyes opened the Bots were looking at him. One spoke, "Master, we will do as follows, afterward what to do?"

Jack ran through the checklist in his head, code 002 meant shut down the factory and disassemble everything, literally everything, that wasn't themselves. And organize the parts. Code 009 was the code for having the Ad-bots self destruct, code 005 was the call.

"Activate code 002 then 005 then 009." he was tired. He needed to go to sleep. But he had to wait until the Bots were done.

"To be clear master, we are to disassemble the lab and have the recycling center come to pick up all the parts. Then have a cleaning crew come in and make sure the lab is empty of everything leaving it to look as it does in the data storage you created, then we are to self destruct in a discrete location?"

"Yes."

"Very good master." the Bots turned away and suddenly Jack was struck with an impulse.

"Wait!"

they turned. "Yes sir?"

"Thank you...all of you for what you've done for me over the past years., please relay that message to all the bots please."

"yes sir. And if we may say. It has been an honor working with you." the bots continued their work and Jack somehow dragged himself back into the kitchen. It wasn't too late in the evening so he knew his Parents would pick up.

He waited for the dial tones. He had to call them at once on a three way chat. It was easier this way.

"Hello?"

"Hello?"

His parents were always in sync even though they wouldn't ever admit it. "Hello, mother, father."

"Jack? I'm very busy right now, I'm about too step into a meeting.." his father started, his mother finished, "What do you need? We have a schedule to keep."

Jack swallowed his tears. "I visited the doctor today. He gave me some bad news, but the details aren't important, I've already arranged for the payments and for the reports to be draw up, I just thought you'd want to know that I...I, well I am..."

"Spit it out Jack I've only got a few seconds." his father's tone made him angry and sad and spiteful. He wanted to lie. To assure them he wasn't the failure that they thought he was. But they were his parents and he loved them.

"I'm going to die." he said. Calmly. Slowly.

His mother laughed, his father muttered something about teenaged drama. "Seriously Jack what is it?" his mother said, "Pimples? Broken nose? What?"

"I'm dying Mother. The doctor optimistically gave me three weeks, but one is more likely. I'm going to die. But I promise that you can read the proof yourselves I'll have it faxed through to your secretaries when I receive it tomorrow and I-"

He heard a line click. Then another one. They had hung up on him. And he cried. Silently and alone. With only the dull lights of his kitchen to keep him company.

**AAA**

The next morning Jack woke up with a start. He found himself still slumped in the same position on the counter. He quickly got up and found the clock, it was eleven thirty. Knowing the monks they'd be here at noon on the dot and ready to kill him if anything went wrong. He ran as fast as he could upstairs and changed his clothing. He threw on a shirt and pants and ran to where he kept the Wu. He quickly opened the safe and pulled all the items out. He carried them all in his arms at once trying not to trip on his way down into the basement.

He dropped everything onto the table and spread them out and organized them. He stopped to catch his breath and looked around his lab. It was empty. Completely. All that was left was the shelves on the walls and the table in the middle where he was. He felt the urge to cry again. But he couldn't not again. The monks couldn't see that. They'd question it.

So he walked around the room a bit more making sure nothing was left when he heard the loud knocking on the doors that lead to his yard.

He quickly walked over and opened it. There stood the monks in their monk garb, looking as haughty and special as always. _It's a damn shame that we can't be friends. _

He tried to smile but he couldn't, he opened his mouth to say something but instead just shut it and pulled the door wider. They stepped in together, tentatively. The look of shock must have been his own face not five minutes ago when they say the empty lab.

"You weren't joking." Kimiko said.

"Nope, not at all. Dead serious. " he gave a weak chuckled and walked past them to the table with the six Wu. "I, uhh...know they're not much but I thought that, well, with your guys' skills they'd be much better than well, me but..." he dropped the sentence. There was no point.

He waited as they inspected the Wu, looking for signs of trickery. When they couldn't find any they gathered the Wu in a bag and walked towards the door. Jack was right behind them, ready to close the door when something occurred to him. "Wait!" He said.

The monks froze. They turned to him. Tense. "Just wait right here. Okay?" they nodded and he dashed back into the house, all the way up back to his room and went to his closet. He opened the door and walked to the very end before grasping the Monkey Staff.

His favorite Wu and the only one he was ever able to hold onto. He rushed back downstairs and sighed with relief to see the monks were still there, "here."

He held out the staff. None of them would take it. "Jack," Raimundo said, "That's the monkey staff."

"Yes, I know." They weren't making this easy on him. _Can you not just take it? Take the last bit of my soul and leave? Why do you have to rip me open like this? Take it. Take it. TAKE IT. _

"But...this is your favorite Wu" Kimiko said.

"I know that, but," He held it out some more, "it's yours now." _Damn you all, can you not just leave me alone? Please just let me die in peace. _

"But don't you want to keep it as a momentum, we won't miss it." Clay said.

Jack gave a dry rusty laugh, "where I'm going they don't let you take souvenirs, besides if you don't take it no one will Wuya and Chase won't even talk to me so...please. Just take it." he gave them a watery smile.

He was going to cry and he didn't want the monks to see it. So he was grateful when Omi took the staff and they walked out peacefully. When the door clicked shut Jack slide down the metal and curled in a ball. He felt the tears come. And he cried.

After what seemed like hours he was able to crawl back to the office near the kitchen and open his email to see the doctor's report sitting right there in his inbox. Methodically he printed it out and faxed two copies of the single paged report to his Parents' secretaries. He also attached a small note saying it was urgent. He liked his Parents' secretaries, they were good people. If the note said urgent they would make sure it got there.

He went back to the computer and methodically went through his account information, he shut down his email, his IM, his facebook and twitter. He had no friends of followers but still. Letting it sit there was just rude.

He shut the computer down and went to his room. He went into his closet and pulled some boxes he always kept in the instance of a move. In thirty minutes he had all but about a week's worth of clothing packed away ready to go to Good-Will.

He looked around his room. He walked over to the few awards he had one and his diplomas and threw them all in the garbage. He parents wouldn't want them. He went to his desk and cleaned it. When he found the small piece of paper he had made only two days ago, his "daisy list" he crumpled it in his hand and shoved it in his pocket. Once his room was in bags he took them all down to the trash cans outside and put the boxes by the driveway. He called goodwill and had them pick up the boxes authorizing a tax reduction for his Parents.

He then sat down in the office and read the medical report. It was no different than he expected. He was going to be dead in a week or two and the last few hours would be that of a lot of pain. H had a good tolerance for pain. It would all be okay.

He felt the crumpled piece of paper in pocket and pulled it out. Opening it he read it to himself.

The Daisy List: things to do before I die.

Visit Europe..._I can still do that...won't be too hard... _

Go dancing with someone Special..._yeah right...dream n Spicer..._

Meet someone Special..._not gunna happen to a freak like you..._

Get my first kiss..._Jesus how was I this optimistic only a day ago?_

Not die, because I don't want to die..._well Jack it's time..._

Signed,

_Jack Spicer_

Jack stared at his own neat scrawl. The only thing that was even plausible on that list was going to Europe. So that's what he would do..._I might be dying but I'm not dead yet._ He took the list and folded it into a neat square and tucked it into his pocket. Before long he was on the phone booking his tickets and reserving his hotel rooms; not even flinching at the astronomical sum that the attendant had rattled off to her, it was after all, the least his parents could do was pay for his last holiday. _Thank God for platinum credit. _

**AAAA**

Dojo didn't like it when Fung was upset. While the old master was practically a child compared to Dojo he still held many years of experience and it was upsetting that he was the only one who could see it. The Man and Dragon sat alone together on a hill overlooking the Temple. The monk was in lotus pose, meditating.

"We should attend the funeral." Dojo finally said. He was solemn and quiet, he couldn't help but feel like somehow, if they had all treated Spicer with more kindness and not beaten him up so badly that the young man would still be live in a week or two and still have all the energy of a child. Not the broken down teenager that they had seen yesterday.

"If there is to be a funeral. Yes we should." Fung didn't open his eyes, nor did he move an inch, but Dojo knew how hard this was on the master. To know that he had lived a full long life and still had many years to go while a young man who had been given so little was on the brink of death.

"Do you think the kids will go if we tell them to attend with us?"

"I believe we should honor Spicer's last wishes and allow them to remain ignorant. They will believe he is in America, happier. Bringing shame onto them now will help no one." Fung's words were wise, but Dashi felt the itch of dissatisfaction layered beneath them. He disapproved of Spicer's last wishes as well.

"I suppose so. What about Chase and Wuya? They fought with Jack on the Heylin side." Dojo slithered and coiled himself on top of a rock next to Fung and waited for the monk to answer.

"This is true but let us remembers that it seems as though no one on the Heylin side liked Spicer any more than the young ones do. It is not a very good situation. For now Dojo I believe we must keep this to ourselves." The monk finally opened his eyes and stood. He began to descend the hill with Dojo slithering next to him.

And as they slowly descended the side of the mountain, both felt the coldness of the wind whip past them, rushing towards the setting sun, never stopping; always flowing. The wind was a force that Dojo had always feared, if he was honest with himself, his eyes trained on their small stone home in the valley. So strong, so deceptively invisible, able to lift him clear off his feet and toss him around like he was a toy. And Death, with its cold, quick, and invisible hand, matched the wind in too many ways for the old dragon to be comfortable with.

"Dojo?" His eyes looked up to see Fung standing a few feet ahead, his brow raised with a concerned question.

"Nothing. Just…the wind blew some dust in my eye." And that was what Jack Spicer was, wasn't he? Just dust in the winds of Death.

**AAAA**

Jack had never been fond of flying, at least no publicly. He hated how people stared at him because of his hair and skin. He used to enjoy the attention but now, he realized that it wasn't fear that had all their eyes drawn to him. It was pity. Or disgust. He adjusted his duffel bag and kept his head down, walking quickly through the massive hallways of Hong Kong International airport.

One of the nicer things about being a Spicer was, while he wasn't exactly loved, he did get the perks of the name. Like a first class free seat on Air Spicer. As he took his seat in the little cocoon of the cabin he quickly shoved his duffel bag under the seat and pulled out the small notebook he had been using instead of his normal PDA.

He flipped through the pages, checking and double checking his arrangements. He was flying into London where he would send two days before taking a helicopter over to Paris. After three days in Paris, if his body still allowed him to move at all, he would take a train east all the way to Moscow. Once there he would arrange for a coffin and burial service to be done and he would be buried in the garden at the Spicer mansion just a few hours north of Moscow.

He had always loved the gardens as a child. The massive willow trees that surrounded the gardens of carefully cultivated vines and roses and waterways. He would be buried at the very back, where the Morning Glory vines grew to form a safe haven by covering two ancient willows that sat right next to one another.

He sank into his seat and closed the book. Tucking it back into the side pocket of his bag he turned on his side to stare out the window. It was a cold and rainy day in Hong Kong. The sun hidden behind the gray of the rain. Jack sighed and shifted, closing his eyes he fell asleep.

..._He was dancing. Someone's arms were holding him up steadily, a pair of strong hands on his waist, his own arms encircling a neck as they sway gently back and forth. His eyes were closed but he knew where he was. It was a boat on the river Seine as it drifted listlessly down the water, it was just after twilight and the Eiffel Tower was lit up. The Parisian skyline added to the beauty of the strings of lights that were overhead. _

_There was a live band and Jack and his lover were only two of the many guests dancing on the boat's deck. Surrounding them were tables meant for couples to dine on before they danced. Jack felt a thumb gently brush his cheek and he opened his eyes to meet Chase's own golden ones. Filled with love. The taller man bent down and kissed Jack. Jack kissed back..._

…_.He was sitting on the ground in the gardens of the Moscow manor, the flowers surrounded him with the beauty of spring. All he could look at was the lonely coffin that sat on the perfect spot, the priest the only man there going through the ritual of blessing the soul. Once finished the man left and the coffin sat still, a black box with silver metal handles. It was quiet and lonely, but peaceful. The kind of lonesomeness that was desired. _

_The coffin seemed to fade right into the vines, as if years had gone by and nature had taken the body back. And all that remained was a thick tall tombstone that read his name, his years of life, and the traditional Rest In Peace. _

_Time sped up again, the tombstone crumbled and the vines had become an even more chaotic mess than before..._

…_.His parents were sitting together, holding hands gently, in front of the fire place in the manor in China. Both holding and reading the last will and testimony of Jack Spicer. His mother's cocktail was nowhere to be found and his father was in an old college sweatshirt and jeans. Words were not said. Words were not needed. Their hands tightened around the others and for the first time in decades they were both wearing their wedding rings..._

…_.Chase and Wuya were laughing and fighting, the cats were lazily wandering around the giant palace. They both were radiantly beautiful, no more wrinkles of distrust or stress. They shared a gentle kiss, one of love and privacy and secrets, even the cats knew to look away..._

…_.The monks were all loud and energized running around the temple having fun in the summer sunlight. They looked the same only something was slightly different, as if a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. Master Fung watched as they played. The elderly man still looked the same only there was an almost unnoticeable amount of grief in his eyes..._

_...Far atop a hill overlooking the temple, the small form of Dojo sat, laying down a small bouquet of handpicked flowers at the foot of a rock where his name, Jack Spicer was carved. And underneath his name was, 'a good soul, and a wonderful person, put in the wrong place at the wrong time.' The dragon gave a sigh and wiped his eye, turning away before slithering back down the hill to the temple..._

_..._Jack blinked. He twisted to his side where the stewardess was shaking his shoulder gently, "Mister Spicer?Oh good you're awake! We've just landed at London's Heathrow Airport."

He cleared his throat and sat up before mumbling "thank you." When she had moved on Jack shook his head a little bit and stretched. _It was only a dream, it was only a dream...that may be but how much of it will come true? _With that thought his shoulders fell back down into the world weary position.

He shook himself a little bit to shake off those thought and was successful, in a way. He then began to go about the almost automatic process of getting his stuff together and getting off the plane and getting on with the rest of his life.

**AAAA**

Delilah Spicer sighed as she pulled up another email from her assistant. Being a Spicer, even by marriage, was not an easy thing. Yes they possessed more money than sin, but it came at the price of social status, public appearance, business, and keeping one eye open for backstabbers and thieves.

"Mrs. Spicer, we will be landing in Beijing in an hour." Her secretary said to her before taking her own seat across the aisle. The plane was one of the Spicer's many private jets, this one personally meant for her with its soft creams and touches of light pinks and grays. She sighed with discontent, snapping her laptop shut and forcing it away from her onto the pull out desk that sat in front of her.

Blinking several times to clear her eyes of the fuzz from too long staring at a computer screen, she stood gracefully and strode to the bathroom. Closing the door behind her she walked over to the chaise lounge that was set against one wall and sat down, resting her head against the back of the soft cushion. This bathroom had cost a small fortune to build, a shower stall, a chaise lounge seat, and a full boudoir, not to mention a separate room for the toilet, which had heated marble floors.

Smiling at how happy she was with this little slice of heaven, her own escape from the business of life, she sighed, standing up, slipping off her high heels and going to sit at the stool in front of the giant mirror flanked by the cabinets of the boudoir. Looking into her reflect she noticed her eyes first. As always the deep blue color looked colder than a winter's night, even more so against her pale skin. Her lack of wrinkles, even as she approached fifty was thanks to excellent genetics and tasteful skincare. Botox was for the vain and weak, she had always believed and she would continue to believe until she died.

Glancing at her lips she noticed they had faded from this morning and sighed, reaching into one of the drawers and pulling out a tube of her favorite lipstick, she reapplied the black until her lips shined like black diamonds. Tracing her brows and the sides of her jaw she checked her makeup, _perfect, _she thought, _you easily look twenty eight. _She smiled delicately and stood again. Too long in the mirror and she would begin to see her son's face.

They shared looks, she admitted, the soft lines of the face and the arch of the brow, there was no mistaking Jack as anyone other than her son. And that was painful for too many reasons to think about.

Pulling in a soft breath and releasing it she glided back over to the chaise and slipped her heels back on before returning to her seat, noticing with satisfaction that the once messy desk was now clean and clear except for a single file folder, _Angelique is worth keeping. Finally an assistant that isn't an airhead. _

Seating back down she glanced without interest at the folder in front of her, _another business contract, _but froze when the name at the tab caught her eye.

_Spicer, Jackson _

Picking it up with care she flipped the file open and looked at the front page, a letter from Jack's doctor. Scanning it quickly, Delilah felt her brows crease in confusion, but as she continued to flip through the pages the picture became clearer to her.

_Jack is…very sick. _The thought was filled with a confused sort of numbness, and somewhere in her abdomen she felt a sharp stab of…something. It resembled the same feeling as when Jack had come out to her and Harrison. The fear, the images of her child being tortured for his sexuality as well as his looks, the idea of her son being abused by men who were nothing but animals…the bubble of fear quickly shifted to anger and hurt.

Tossing the file onto the desk she stood, and walked to the front of the plane, knocking on the door to the cockpit before opening the door. The pilots had both turned to face her, surprise that the boss was standing there clear on their faces. "Change of plans boys," she said with a cold sort of smirk, Take me to Shanghai, and call in the copter. I wish to go home for a while."

As they confirmed her requests, Delilah quickly walked back to her seat and sat, facing the window, watching the clouds move beneath them as they shifted directions. "Angelique, call my husband's assistant. Track him down, you should find him at the house outside of the Shanghai. If that is so, have her inform my dearest spouse I will be home soon I wish to discuss a matter of importance with him."

"Yes Mrs. Spicer."

"Thank you." _Harrison I hope you have some idea as to what to do here, because I'm lost._

**AAAA **

When the car pulled up in front of the five star hotel known as Madame Brandon's, Jack had fully convinced himself that, just because he was dying, didn't mean he couldn't enjoy this. He was staying at the nicest hotel in London. He was going to do all those things he never could in the past. The driver had been a nice young man, mid-twenties, named Darren, who had been kind enough to not only carry Jack's small bag, but also carry said bag all the way up to the top seven stories of the skyscraper where the hotel was.

Darren was a sweet boy. He was tall and muscular, Jack learned he only drove for the money, and he worked as a trainer at a gym for fun. When he had dropped Jack and his bag off at the beautiful lobby, he very sweetly smiled and nervously offered Jack his card, telling him that whenever he needed a ride, he only had to call. Jack had blushed and taken card with a wide smile and had quickly reached up and pecked Darren on the cheek and saying a 'thank you' before running off to the front desk.

Madame Brandon's was, in a single word, taste. As it was housed on the top seven floors of London's tallest building, it was designed to show off it's one of a kind view. The walls were almost completely made out of giant glass panels that, with proper polarization, allowed the sunlight to constantly stream in. the furniture was simple and modern and the floors were a beautiful white marble.

Once Jack had checked in he made his way to his room, the Infinity room. He had read about it once in a review magazine and knew he had to stay there. At fifteen thousand a night it wasn't cheap but it was worth every cent. Located on the seventh floor, the room was done in two levels. The first level was where his bed and bathroom where, the tasteful grays and whites of the room made the large space seem warmer and was accented by the simplicity of it. Two of the walls were made of glass giving jack a view of most of London. Right next to once window, about ten feet from the sofa and table that sat about five feet from the bed, was the infinity pool and small garden.

The lush carpet stopped and turned into a Japanese garden that surrounded the small pond like pool. On one side of the room there was a small rock and sand garden with a small rake, the gently hills of close cut green grass melded into artificial hills with little cherry trees with pink blossoms and small bonsais. The space was about thirty feet by twelve feet. Big enough to be actually used and walked upon. Large enough for the opposite end to have a sort of a seating area with a gentle rocker that looked out to the window surrounded by taller trees, acting as a barrier between the hotel room and the dreamscape the garden made.

The pool sat in the middle, it flowed gently all the way to the glass wall where it gently dropped off, giving the illusion it went on for infinity. The bottom and sides of the pool were made from little pebbles and the water was crystal clear. It made Jack gasp with happiness. He dropped his bag on the bed before running over. Only then when a staircase next to the garden caught his eye did he remember why the room had been given the amazing review.

The second floor was up a winding flight of metal and glass stairs that led to one of the "towers". The four towers of Madame Brandon's were an architectural wonder. On the roof in the center of the building a large pillar rose. The pillar used several support beams and wires to stand, but it also acted as a support itself. It held up the towers. Each and all of towers were connected by steel beams. They sat surrounding the center pillar, gently rotating. Each rotation lasted about twenty minutes, in which time the room made a full 360 degree spin around the pillar. The staircase locked behind a door that was room key activated, keeping other guests out of each other's suites.

The rooms housed the "living room" and lounge areas of the four suites. Large round rooms with 360 visibility. It was a castle in the sky.

In keeping with the theme of Jack's room the lounge furniture was all of the same soft modern type like the stuff in the first floor. The winding staircase took him up to the room and when he got there he was amazed. The view was spectacular the furniture was beautiful, the soft music was perfect and the table that had a steaming plate of appetizers before dinner was served to him by the staff.

He laid eyes on the sofa and smiled. He ran over and jumped on it. Burying his face into a pillow he sighed happily. "This is to die for." He said before he let himself slip back into dream land.

**AAAAA**

**So another one gone by. Soon **

**xoxo**


	3. Chapter 3

**Third time's the charm. **

**xoxo **

**AAAA**

"Wuya, enough of this constant pacing it's driving me insane." Chase's fingers squeezed the bridge of his nose and breathed in and out a few times. Hoping that when his eyes opened the witch would not be walking back and forth in front of his throne.

But, to no surprise, when Chase opened his eyes, there she was, walking back and forth her hands fidgeting around. Her eyes darted around and her mouth moved silently, trying desperately to understand this latest news.

"I don't understand what there is to be upset or worried about; Spicer merely said he's moving back to America. I think it's for the best. He was an absolute waste of space and—"

"Shut up Chase!" She hissed at him, turning sharply on her heels to glare at him, cutting him off. "You don't know Jack like I do. This is so wrong, he would never _teach." _She spat the word out. "He hates being the center of attention, not to mention he's far too young to teach, he _knows _those college brats won't respect him at all." She twisted away and walked over to the waterfall.

She sat by the edge of the pool and stared at the water, willing something to be revealed. "He's hiding something. I know it. And I want to know what it is." She felt his eyes on the back of her neck and was tempted to whip around and throw something at the smugness she knew was sitting on his face. It was disgusting how he could bury his feelings into the deepest part of himself and pretend they didn't exist. Chase young was emotionally stunted, and Wuya hated it about him.

"It's impossible that it's something evil or could possibly harm us. Jack worships the ground we walk upon. It's still the saddest thing I've seen in decades." Chase sat and chuckled as he lazily stroked his cat's giant head. He let the fingers do the mechanics of it; however his focus remained on Wuya.

She ran her hand through her long red hair and sighed; tearing her eyes from the pool she launched herself across the room to the giant front door. She paused there, her hand on the side, and turned back to look at him. "It may be pathetic to you Chase, but you will never understand that boy. Not like I do." She walked out of the palace.

"You've always hated him as much as I have if not more!" He yelled to her back knowing she would hear the words. He huffed and turned away from the sight. This caring for Jack Spicer was not a side of Wuya that he had seen in such force before. It was unsightly, but as it thought of it, a small twist of guilt and something else pulled at his brain. Hoping to banish it he stood and went over to the fireplace and looked down into the flames. "Show me Spicer." He said to the fire.

Instantly the colors changed and became clear, in the fire was the redhead, sitting in what looked like a pond, bathed in moonlight, humming contently. Chase sighed and looked away. _Nothing to worry about. He's fine. Though as to why I care is such a mystery. _

**AAAAA**

Wuya didn't like feeling nervous. She very rarely felt it and it was a constant reminder how human she still was. She tied the sash around her waist more tightly and walked up the giant pathway to the front of the Spicer manor. The house was large and the gardens maintained perfectly. It had bothered her, the perfection of it, and she knew it had bothered Jack too.

As she walked her step slowed as she thought about the redhead. She didn't hate him, no matter what front she put on in public. She had been with Jack for almost all of his teen years, watching silently from the side what the boy endured. She had criticized and been unnecessarily cruel. But that was before she had met Mr. and Mrs. Spicer.

She grimaced as she remembered the meeting. It had been after she had gotten her body back. She had been over at Jack's to rub into his face how pathetic he was and how happy she was. She had slipped through the security and into the lab through the door that lead to the yard directly, and had been shocked to find it empty.

She had snuck up the stairs and tiptoed through the house before following her ears to the family parlor. She had been careful to conceal herself using her magic to camouflage herself against the wall. She had seen Jack sitting with his shoulders slumped in one of the high backed chairs, his head bent, knees together, and fingers tightly knotted in his lap. Across from him had been his parents. Both were very handsome people looking nothing like Jack's albinism or blood red hair…..

"_So you really feel this way Jack?" His mother had said from her place on the sofa, looking into her cocktail. _

"_Yes Mother. I am sorry. I truly wish—" _

"_Wishes are for those who've earned them Jack." His father cut him off, "and nothing you have done has ever been deserving of wishes." _

"_Yes Father." Jack flinched and his hands seemed to pull together closer. _

"_Harrison, Margaret has told me of places that we can send Jack to fix him. I'm sure that it's curable, just because those over-zealous fools in the States seem to think it's biological…" She wondered off and took a sip of her drink before setting it down to fix her hair. _

"_I've also heard of them. I think you're right Delilah; that is what we will do with you Jack. Although I still believe we should never had given birth to you. You know how much this is going to cost us? How much you've cost us?" Harrison Spicer's voice was harsh but quiet. _

"_Yes Father, I am sorry. I can look into facilities immediately. I didn't mean to cause you or Mother any problems, I'm so sorry, really—"_

"_Enough Jack!" His mother said, rising and smoothing her skirts. "It's bad enough I gave birth to a defective albino, but there is no reason to continually bring up the fact that you are homosexual," she spat the word with such hatred Wuya felt her eyes widen. _

"_I know Mother; I will endeavor to never mention it again."_

"_Good boy. Well, I must be off, two o'clock meeting in Shanghai. Harrison will you be joining me for dinner?" _

"_Why not? I'll go alert the driver. And Jack…"For the first time Jack looked up and into his father's eyes, hopefully. "Don't speak of this to anyone, at all. And find a facility soon; I want you out of this house in three days. And don't ever come back until you're cured. Or I'll have Jackson take care of you. Permanently." He left. _

_Jack swallowed, "Yes Father." He stood and started to walk past his mother. _

"_Jack?" He stilled, he didn't turn around, and he knew his mother wouldn't look at him. _

"_Yes Mother?" _

_She hesitated, bringing her hand to her mouth she pressed her black manicured acrylics to her perfectly rouged mouth, "….make sure to inform the servants that we will be home in three days, and we expect the house to be ready." With that she swept past her son and left the Manor._

_Wuya watched the Spicers go before turning her eyes to Jack, where he stood seemingly frozen in place. Then he slowly sat down onto the couch and leaned his head back. Wuya stood there for who knows how long until Jack cried himself to sleep…... _

Wuya shook her head, trying to get the memory far away from her mind. She remembered how Jack had disappeared for about six months before coming back. After that he had never been the same Jack. Always….less. Less sure of himself, less loud, less obnoxious, less of a human.

Wuya once again shook herself. It wasn't as if she could have done anything. _You could have helped him…talked him through it, you are after all good friends with several homosexuals…._She hated how her conscience sounded like Dashi. The man had been the most adorably annoying man ever, but still. It was rude. Though the voice annoyed her, the words it whispered bothered her even more. Yes it was true both Chase and Dashi were gay.

But it wasn't as if Wuya hadn't offered the boy freedom before…._Oh really? _

"Shut up Dashi! Get out of my head you damnable fool. Jack did this to himself!" She hissed to the air of the front step. For once it seemed, her subconscious had understood this command, for she heard no whispers.

She looked up at the giant front door of the house, the stole a glance to the driveway to her left. Seeing no cars did help her nerves, if only a little. The Spicer Parents were never home long enough to actually have the cars put in the garage. She pressed a finger to the lock on the door and waited for the click before entering.

She hosted down the hall, swiping her hand across the security system, instantly the beeping ceased. She flitted through the hall, "Jack! Jack? Enough of this hide and seek game we need to chat." She called throughout the house. Her patience running thin as no one responded, even more so as she threw open the door to Jack's bedroom and found it devoid of life. Completely.

She slowly entered the room and wandered around, her eyes wide with disbelief. His computer, his knick-knacks, even the framed diplomas that had been Jack's pride and joy, were gone. She trailed her hand over the dresser, examining the thin layer of dust that clung to her fingers. She took in the sight of his sheet less bed and empty walls.

In a panic she jerked her wrist. The shelves flew open, _empty. _She jerked her other wrist and the closet almost unhinged itself, _empty. _The bedside table; _empty. _The bathroom drawers, _empty. Empty, empty, empty….nothing left._

Within three seconds she was running through halls, her bare feet making no noise. "No, no, no, no, no!" She whispered as she bolted down the steps. She jumped halfway down the giant grand stairs, her feet absorbing the impact of the land, she was running within a heartbeat. She flashed through the house, making her way down the unforgotten pathway to the lab. Jack's lab. His pride and joy. The one thing that he lived for.

_He would never take it down. No matter where he moved to. It put too much work into it. It's his heart and soul…._The thought was reassuring. But she didn't slow for a single second. As the door came into sight she jerked her wrist and the door flew open. And with it she launched herself into the room and over the staircase railing. She landed in the middle and wildly looked around.

And promptly screamed.

The scream ripped itself from her throat, part anger, fear, shock, shame, self hatred, and hatred for whoever had made Jack do this. The room was bare. Nothing was left. Only the shelves that were bolted to the wall and the lighting fixtures. The screens were gone. The tables were gone. The Jack-bots were gone.

Jack was gone.

She fell down onto her knees. Her breathing was heavy and she couldn't feel the air in her lungs, the beginnings of tears sprung to the corners of her eyes and her nails curled into fists. She pushed a fist to her mouth, containing the sob. "Jack…what have we done to you?"

**AAA**

Fung sighed aloud. It was bad enough that he hadn't been able to sleep because Omi had once again undercooked his rice, but now he had to sit and watch this ridiculous and callous display of outright rudeness.

"To Spicer, for finally knowing when to get his sorry ass the hell away from a losing battle!" Raimundo said, raising his can of Coke. The other three monks clinked theirs with his with a round of "here, here's!"

Were Fung fifty years younger and had he not made the promise to Jack about not revealing the real reason for his departure, he would have slap the young ones with the truth so hard it would have knocked them into the next millennia. However he was fifty years older and he had made such a promise to Jack. So he would not.

Instead he would just have to settle for being the cruel teacher they young ones complained he was. "Enough. There are chores to be done." He said calmly, sweeping in from his place in the archway.

"But Master…we finished them all," Clay said with a puzzled tone. Fung wanted to smirk. But he was fifty years older, and had forgotten to brush this morning.

"I have found several new ones for you. Idle hands are a monk's worst enemy. Kimiko, you and Clay are to scrub the main dojo floors and walls with these," he help out two very small tooth brushed. "And Raimundo, you and Omi are to trim all the hedges surrounding the temple with these," he help up two of the thumb sized clipper that Dojo used. "Without your powers." This last statement was met with several long groans and 'whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyys?' which he ignored.

"And because I know you all so well, the other monks will be watching to make sure you do not cheat. Good day." He waited for them to all grab their utensils and exit the room before seating himself unto one of the cushions on the floor.

**AAAA**

Wuya wondered back into the palace. Her eyes were not puffy and not a hair was out of place. She had been gone for only two hours, but so much had occurred. It felt a forever ago. As she wandered into the foyer, she almost bumped into Chase. Standing there in the middle of the foyer, looking as if he was waiting for her return; an unusual concurrence. She looked up and down, taking in his outfit. Gone was the armor, replacing it was a smart stripped business suit of charcoal gray and black. "Going somewhere?" She merely whispered. It was all she could manage.

"Into Shanghai, for the mail. Join me?" Chase gave her a small smile. She nodded and quickly ran to her rooms to change into a simple black dress. It was a fact that Chase got bored with playing immortal long ago and had decided to step into the modern investment world. He went into Shanghai once a week or so to get the reports and any other business paper mail he received at a small P.O box at one of Shanghai's post offices.

The travel was easy, magic transporting them into the city, but they allowed themselves to walk a few blocks in the public in order to maintain a level of anonymity. Her hand wrapped around his arm, the hat on her head and the sunglasses on her eyes hiding her from the lights of Shanghai and the sun; she felt like they were attending a funeral.

Once they had navigated the busy streets of the city they quickly made their way to the post office and opened his box. Grabbing the mail, Chase shuffled quickly through it while Wuya watched the traffic outside. She paused and refocused onto Chase when she no longer heard the shuffling of paper. She turned around and opened her mouth to ask what the problem was but shut it when she saw his face.

His eyes wide with shock and his brow drawn down in intense concentration, Chase stared at a big yellow envelope. Wuya moved over to his side and looked over his arm at it and nearly gasped. The letter was addressed to Mr. Chase Young and Ms. Wuya Young; however the oddity was not in the address but the return one. From one Mr. Jack Spicer.

**AAAAA**

"You can't do this forever you know." Dojo said as he slithered into the room and unto the stone table. He casually lifted up Kimiko's Coke and took a long chug. "I just heard them muttering something about 'menial labor' as I past." He said to answer Fung's questioning gaze.

"I know. I just wish there was something I can do." Fung sighed and closed his eyes, his hands drifting into the oh, so, familiar lotus position.

"We could see if Dashi could help him." Dojo was hesitant with the suggestion. He of all people knew how massive the consequences would be if things went wrong.

"Take Jack to him? And tell him of the most guarded secret of the Xiaolin Order?" Fung was as he sounded, skeptical. Jack was still a Heylin warrior, dying or no.

"I suppose so. But still….I feel like the boy deserve it. He needs something, someone…Dashi could do it, and you know how it works, All we have to do is bring Jack up there and—"

"Master Fung!" Omi's voice rang out through the building, effectively cutting off Dojo.

"Yes young one?" Fung turned to see Omi carrying a large yellow envelope.

"This came for you." Omi handed him the envelope and stood there, leaving reluctantly only when Fung waved him off.

The letter was address to him and Dojo, from Jack. Both he and Dojo looked at each other before Fung carefully set the envelope down and let Dojo open it slowly and precisely sliding all the papers out. Both bent over to read the neat scrip written.

**AAA**

Wuya ripped the envelope out of Chase's hands and tore at the sealing. She yanked all the papers out and furiously began to read, Chase hissing at her, and forcing her to start over reading aloud, whispering the words on the page out loud quickly and hotly.

"The Last Will and Testimony of Jackson Spicer." Chase read aloud, his attention completely on the page.

**AAA**

Fung's eyes scanned the page as Dojo read aloud from a smaller page stuck to the front of the will.

"_Dear Master Fung and Master Dojo, _

_While I never knew you both as friends and I am sure to this day you still regard me as somewhat of an enemy, I wish to thank you for your kindness and condolences of my loss."_

Dojo paused. "His loss? Spicer, you poor kid." Fung sighed and motioned for Dojo to continue,

"_While I do regret many of my actions I am glad that I chose to share this information with the two of you, and thank you both for keeping it private. I'm not sure exactly if this is allowed in Xiaolin tradition but seeing as I have nothing else to offer, please note that you both personally and the Temple as a whole have been added to my will. Thank you both from the depths of my heart. You'll never know how much it means to me._

_Signed, on this day, _

_Jack Spicer."_

Dojo heaved a sigh. "What shall we do?"

Fung closed his eyes and then opened them slowly, "honor his last request and take whatever it is he has bestow on us with honor."

Dojo nodded and shuffled through the papers reading aloud the will.

**AAA**

Wuya tried to absorb the words as she read them aloud but it just didn't click to well. So she handed over the small hand written note the sat onto of the will of to Chase with the silent command of reading it aloud.

"_Dear Chase and Wuya,_

_I know we're not friends, and I understand that I am undesirable for your company but I do feel as if I owe you and apology for being such a….pest. I can't give you much that would mean anything to you, all I have is all I can offer. I Hope it will make up for the shitty way I yelled at you guys a few days ago. Please forgive me, I'm just a fool. A kid. _

_Signed, on this day,_

_Jack Spicer._

_P.S, Wuya, Thank you. Chase, I am so sorry for ever having bothered you. Forgive me." _

Wuya stared at Chase and then at the will. She motioned for him to read it aloud as well. The man complied; quickly scanning it to find the clause that included his name and hers.

"_To Chase Young I leave all the shares of both my Stock portfolio and my Trust portfolio, the island of Carrik in the Caribbean, the shares of my Spicer personal stocks and all the books in my own personal collection, located in a storage center in Hong Kong. To Wuya Young, I leave all the money in every account under my own name, the gross profit of all, and any, royalties to be paid to my name, All my worldly passions she wishes to keep, located in a storage unit in Hong Kong, and all of the deeds to the houses under my name. Also any monies in the future that were to become mine, by stipulation of law are to put into a personal account without the Spicer name attached in any way." _

Wuya gasped. She knew how expansive the Spicer fortune was, no matter how badly the Spicers hated their son, it was simple to massive to keep to themselves. She placed her hand on Chase's arm to steady herself. Looking at Chase she was shocked to see tears gather in the man's eyes. And for the first time since Dashi had left them, Wuya shed tears, and soon Chase felt a single drop slide down his cheek.

**AAA**

Dojo placed the will down and stared up at Fung. "I don't understand Dojo, what does it mean?"

Dojo took a moment to process the information and then spoke slowly but surely. "It means that we, you and I both have a lot of money, and a house. A very, very nice house just about twenty miles north from here, in the mountains."

Fung shook his head, "Why would Spicer…?"

"Because this is all he has to give, money and land. That's all he's ever known. No love. No happiness. Just numbers and facts."

"What about the part of the Temple?"

"It's a bank account, it means if we ever want to make this place bigger for more students, if we ever need to make repairs, we won't have to use the gold that Dashi left us." The gold in question was in fact a very small pile, and growing smaller ever month. There were just some things an ancient temple and monks couldn't do without for free in these modern times.

"Jack Spicer…." Fung said. A tear coming to his eye. The boy had been a saint in disguise. And he had doubted him. "Dojo, we must prepare for a visit to Dashi."

**AAA**

"Chase…I won't let him die. I have to go to him. Come with me. Help me" Wuya said to him once they were back in his stone palace. She held the letter in her hands, gripping it tightly. Her eyes pleading, her mouth opened ever so slightly.

"No." Short, simple, and the absolute wrong answer in her mind.

"Fine then. I'll find him myself and I'll be there for him." Her eyes narrowed into slits, "regardless Chase remember this, that boy loved you. How I will never understand, but he did. And you choose to be a bastard. How like you." She sneered at him before snapping her fingers. In a flash of green flames she vanished.

Chase stared at the spot she had been a few seconds before. Then he turned to go to his chambers but was stopped by the sight of all of his cats blocking his way, staring up at him expectantly.

"Move." His voice was cold and deadly. They did nothing. "If you think even for a minute I'm going to go hunt down that little brat then you will all be severely disappointed." Still nothing. One of them had the audacity to yawn.

He ran a hand through his hair and heaved a ragged breath. "This is stupid. I don't love the boy, nor do I even like him…..Alright so I can respect him a little. And he is beautiful…"Chase pictured pale skin, flaming red hair, a little flush on the crest of delicate pale cheeks. "But it means nothing!"

He turned away from the cats and walked down another corridor…_besides he's annoying and selfish, he's loud and young, he knows nothing of real Evil he's…._Chase closed his eyes and groaned, images flashing through his mind…._Jack sighing sweetly when Chase touched him, Jack waking up beside him with a sleepy smile, Jack feeding him breakfast and laughing at when some of it missed…._Chase slid down to the floor and cupped his head in his hands.

"Oh shit who am I kidding? The boy is fucking perfect for me. Wuya you bitch. He is such a devoted little thing; he'd be such a nice addition to my eternity." Chase said, half laughing half groaning. The sentence sounded so fake. So unrealistic. So stupidly human.

He had tried to not think about it. He had, really. But every time Jack was mention or whenever Chase saw him it was the same thing. Always the adoring eyes, the soft whispers of 'I love you' and the quiet mature age that hide beneath the façade of a shallow youth. Chase felt himself start to sweat, _I don't need him, I don't want him. It's just temporary. It means nothing. _

But every word was a lie. And he knew it too. Because nothing felt right except for when Jack was near him. "Jesus fucking Christ," he muttered to himself, hating this. It was a disease, a deadly mutated disease. And he wanted to let it consume him.

And so he would. But it would only work if Jack was still alive. So with that in mind, Chase teleported to Wuya's location. The cats all purred low in their throats as their master vanished. _It was about damn time. _

**AAAA**

Jack on the other hand was having a fabulous time. He had never felt so alive in his life. It was his second and last night in London, tomorrow he would leave for Paris so he wanted to really enjoy it. He had gone shopping all say long with a very nice girl named Mai Ling who was assigned by the Hotel to be his personal shopping assistant. The fact that she was being paid to be this nice and friendly only bothered Jack when he stopped and thought about it. So he didn't.

He had called Darren, the driver to be the one to take them around and shop, and he hadn't even restrained his adoring gaze as Darren used his amazing muscles to help carry all the things Jack bought. He bought things for Mai Ling and Darren; he bought things for his parents. He even bought things for the monks, Chase, and Wuya.

And now he sat at one of the nicest restaurants in London giggling madly at a story Mai Ling was telling him about another guest she had worked with. Darren sat next to him, his big arm wrapped around the back of Jack's chair, also laughing at Mai Ling.

They ate, they chatted, they had desert, Darren being flirtatious with Jack and Jack doing it right back. It felt nice to do this. He knew it was a sin and he knew he would be disappointing his parents if they found out….but not now. Now he just wanted to enjoy having friends.

A few hours later, Mai Ling was dropped off at her home and Darren drove Jack to the hotel, He was even polite enough to escort him to his door. "Darren, I can't thank you enough for the last two days, you've been so good to me." Jack said, hugging Darren's massive shoulders.

"It was my pleasure Jack." The taller man said in his light British accent.

Jack sighed and let go of the bigger man and stepped back into the doorway of his opened hotel room. "I will always remember you, my first friend." He gave the man a wobbly smile and nearly cried as the man gave a chuckle and a blush across his high cheekbone.

He whispered goodbye and slipped into his room. He walked over to where all the bags were and sighed, he take care of the delivers before he checked out tomorrow. He stripped down and went into the bathroom to use the bathroom and brush his teeth. He slipped into the sheets of the bed and moaned. This bed was so beautiful and warm. He gave a gasp of pure delight when he stretched his muscles all the way down to his toes. And with only thoughts of how great his life was, he fell asleep.

**AAA**

"Harrison?" Delilah Spicer swayed into the room, the short cocktail dress clinging to her curves, and her black acrylics blending in with the smooth silk.

"What is it Delilah? I'm busy." Harrison sat in the same brown leather chair he had been using since their marriage, twenty five years ago; it had been her gift to him. The giant mahogany desk was littered with papers and computer screens. The top of Harrison's black hair, and threads of silver, were all that could be seen behind the massive piles of books and reports.

"Did you read it?" There was no need to explain what "it" was. They both knew. After twenty five years it was a bit of a given that they shared the same mind about their son. Their interesting bizarre accidentally foolish son.

"No. And I don't intend to. God only know how much he paid that idiot doctor to forge those results. Not to mention these latest bills from the house. What is he giving to goodwill?" Harrison snapped, his voice was laced with tiredness.

Delilah swept behind her husband's fortress and gently laid her hands on his shoulders and began to slowly rub the tense muscles there. "He donated all of his possession. And he deconstructed the lab."

At this last part, Harrison's pen stopped moving across the paper. "He….probably just throwing a tantrum again. It's not as if this is any different as the last seven or eight. At least he isn't getting another tattoo. God what a nightmare that was."

Delilah sighed but continued to rub her husband's shoulder blades and neck. Her long acrylics gently plying the muscles into relaxation, and her warm palms easing the stress away. Harrison dropped the pen and paper from his hand and leaned back into the chair and into the invitation of the massage. "I don't know my dear, I just don't know with him anymore." Harrison's voice held no hate, just a sadness that came from misunderstanding.

"He was never an easy child to understand. But then again you weren't the easiest nut to crack either my love." Delilah purred to her husband. Their love was one that didn't make much sense to the outside world, but to them it did.

Harrison gave a chuckle and reached up to squeeze his wife's hand. They remained there for a few minutes more. Not moving, not talking, only the comfortable silence being there with them. Slowly Harrison reached for one of the tablet computers that sat on his desk and pulled a new window onto the thin screen. Tapping the touch screen a few times he opened his mailbox and went into the personal folder. He dragged out the document that his secretary had sent him yesterday and began to read. The precise and simple wording of the doctor's notes was just as Harrison liked them. Crisp, concise.

After a few minutes more he set the tablet down and slowly began to rise. Delilah moved around the desk until she was by the door of the room, her hand resting on the light switches. Harrison was slow to move, as if he had been given a great burden.

When he reached the doorway, he took his wife's hand and pressed the knuckles to his lips and looked into her eyes. She switched the lights off and reached up to stroke back a piece of her husband's hair. They said no words, they gave no hint of emotion, but deep inside they felt a burn. A scorching heat that came with the almost undoable love for one's child.

For years in their marriage they had hated one another, two people far too similar in any way to make sense of a union that had seemed so perfect. Then Harrison had slept with some young thing to hurt the wife he thought he was losing after only five years of marriage. Then the beautiful Mrs. Spicer had retaliated. So had begun the war of hatred and lies. But then, that fateful night, where they both had slept with each other, the best sex of their lives.

The pregnancy that had been a curse. The baby that had come out soon wrong, and yet so interesting. They had begun to bond of their mutual feelings of their son. Then suddenly their marriage was alright. And now, after Delilah had educated herself on homosexuality and moved on from every having biological grandchildren and Harrison had begun to learn of his son's impressive technological prowess, everything was going to be okay.

Their child was dying. And for some reason they couldn't remember why they hadn't seen or cared for the past nineteen years. All that matter was the next few days. All that matter was Jack. Now all they had to do in order to salvage this was find Jack, and get him to forgive the past grievances of the Spicer family.

**AAAA**

Dojo had chosen to stay behind instead of going with Fung to see Dashi. As Fung climbed up the winding stairs of stone, to the top of Xiaolin Mountain, he paused to turn back and look down onto the speck that was the temple. The Dragon hadn't been the same since this new discovery about Jack Spicer a few days ago. And Fung felt it in his bones. That and after he had gone to bed last night, he could have sworn he had heard Dojo talking to people….

…"_Dojo? You aren't going to be joining me in greeting Grand Master Dashi?" _

"_Sorry Fung, It's not really my shindig, Dashi and I….Our time is past. Besides, I'm going to have to stay here and look after the monkeys, make sure they stay….not monk-ish." _

"_Very well. Shall I give anything to the Grand Master for you?" _

"_Thanks but no, go on now. It'll be a long hike. Go to bed." Dojo waved Fung off to his bed before creeping out into the courtyard of the temple. He sighed and slithered over to one of the giant stones that sat in the middle of the rock garden. Resting himself onto of it Dojo stared up into the stars and closed his eyes. _

"_I know you're there Wuya. Hiding from me isn't going to do much." Dojo said, his voice tired, He had know the witch since before she even had breasts and yet she thought she could still get away with any tricks with him._

"_Ah yes, you might have know me just as long but you were always more attached to Dashi than Chase or I." The witch formed out of the shadows of one of the rocks before standing up and dusting off her robes. _

"_Doesn't mean I didn't know every single prank and trick and tactic you and the little golden eyed devil had hidden in your arsenal. Besides, I knew you would show up eventually….not to difficult to guess how your brain works." _

"_Did you now? How good for you? And how is it, exactly, that you knew that I would show up here?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm, and her arms were folded across her chest, skepticism radiated off of her._

"_He told us too." _

_With those four words Wuya's mouth dropped open and her arms fell from their position and her eyes widened, "w-w-what? Jack trusted the _monks_! You're shitting me." _

_Dojo almost laughed. Almost. But then again, Dashi had had a mouth on him too so it shouldn't have been so surprising that Wuya had picked up a few special word in her many millennia of existence. _

"_No, he didn't tell the monks, only Master Fung and I know. He gifted us in his will, quite a bit of the Spicer fortune. I assume you and Chase have also gotten something?" _

_Wuya opened her mouth but he cut her off, "of course you did, Jack loved you both too much not too, I'll never see why though…You treated him like scum. Hell we treated him like scum. But he's been better to us then we deserve." Dojo huffed out a breath and looked sharply at Wuya. Humphing before twisting around and looking at the closest tree. "I know you're there too. Move it." _

_And like that, Chase melted out of the shadows and into the moonlight before making his way over to Wuya's side and staring down at the dragon. "How have you been Dojo?" _

"…_Hmmm…..ever since you tried to EAT ME, I've been wonderful." Dojo hissed angrily, his eyes slits. _

_Chase had the decency to look away, "Yes well, sorry." _

_Dojo huffed and twisted around to look back up into the starry skies above him. He sighed and closed his eyes, "Why have you both decided to suddenly care?"_

_He felt Wuya shift and Chase stiffen knowing this was going to be a very long, long, LONG night. He twisted to stare back at the door into the temple, narrowing his eyes...he could have sworn he heard….it must have been nothing. _

_Turning to Chase, he snapped, "explain."…. _

…The wind whipped about Fung, making him shiver. He turned once again and gazed up at the top of the mountain, miles away. Yes it was still midmorning, but it would get colder and windier the farther up he went. _I'm not nearly as young or as tough as I used to be. _He sighed and chuckled to himself before bending his head down and continuing the trek up the stairs. As his slippers lightly touched each step, he let his mind wander, traveling to faraway places. He knew it was wrong, and he knew it wasn't the Xiaolin way, but he was so very old and very tired, maybe it was time that he and the other older monks consider taking some of Spicer's gifted money and going into retirement.

It was the ultimate sin for a monk to indulge in luxury but it had been decades since Fung had slept on anything besides a straw mat. Besides if the temple were to be expanded and updated, maybe it was a good thing to clear some of the older, less forward thinking monks out. Air out the dust.

Fung laughed at the image of some of the monks being swept away in a cloud of dust before coughing on the cold mountain air. He looked up to the top, and the back to the valley. _Long journey ahead, at least I have my thoughts to keep me company. _

**AAAA**

**Too many tears. Time for some fun. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Welcome back. **

**AAA**

The helicopter ride to Paris had been uneventful, and Jack gave a long yawn as he slumped even farther back into the warm leather seat of the limo as it worked its way through Parisian traffic towards his hotel. Jack lazily looked out into the streets of the city of love and lights, watching people walk by, shopping, site-seeing, living.

He had lost two pounds in the last week. And he was coughing up blood, black colored blood. So yeah, he was definitely dying, but he had never felt more alive. He was finally doing things he had always dreamed of doing, dancing, singing, laughing, loving. It was fantastic.

A small smile crawled across his pale pink lips as he remember the previous night. He had been walking in London's shopping district watching street performers and munching on a hotcake when one of the dancers from a gang of gypsies had danced over to him and took his hand. Before he knew it he was dancing and bouncing along with the merry melody, laughing at the foolish things the young gypsy men did to impress their women.

He had even danced with one of them, Cam, his name had been, a tall muscular fellow with bright eyes and an even brighter smile. They had danced together and talked over tea and bread, and before the night was over Jack had walked away with at least three gypsy talismans, all resting gently around his neck.

He felt the limo braking and pulling into the curved entry to his hotel and he began to shift himself into the ready to be released position. Fathering his small bag and shaking himself into a more energized state, he smiled at his driver when the man opened his door, he quickly said 'thank you' and pressed a large roll of euros into the man's hand.

The bellhops rushed forward and took his bags and helped him slid into his coat, as the weather was a bit on the biting side, even in the early afternoon. Jack walked quickly into the lobby of the hotel and nearly gasped at the sight. Madame Brandon's Abode in Paris was truly a magnificent palace. High ceilings of gold and stunning alabaster floor let light from the giant crystal chandeliers sparkle and glitter all over the room. He gave a low whistle as he wandered through the room, his neck cranes to take the whole thing in. _I gotta hand it to Madame Brandon, the chick knows her designs. Jesus the woman must be a frigging genius. Makin' all that money..._

He walked over to the front desk and smiled at the young Asian woman standing there and asked politely for help, "certainly sir," she said with a slight French accent, "and what is your name?"

"Spicer, Jack Spicer." He said. Waiting the few seconds while she punched in the information he thought about what he was going to try to do for the rest of the day; he would definitely be going to dinner, and maybe try and fit in a ride of one of the famed river boat tours on the Seine. Before hopping into bed and sleeping. He forgot how much he loved to sleep now, back in China he barely slept, always trying to get stronger, or being on the alert for a new Wu or waking up from nightmares.

Funny thing was, he wasn't having any nightmares anymore, and he even slept through the nights. And it felt good. Especially since his dreams were filled with nothing but the most amazing things. Last night he had dreamt of Chase. And himself. On their honeymoon...

_Chase carried him bridal style through the door of the cabana they had rented in Bora Bora. It sat on the edge of the beach, right above the water, the white sands of the ocean only a staircase away. Chase smiled down into Jacks eyes, laughing at the delicate blush that crossed Jack's cheeks as Jack looked around the room, taking in the beautiful furniture the modern kitchenette and the beautiful four poster king sized bed. Covered in rose petals. Jack sighed as Chase placed him on the bed before crawling on top of him, somehow now devoid of his shirt. _

_He kissed his way up Jack's neck and dedicate placed a kiss on Jack's lips. "You really did all this for me?" Jack asked with slight trepidation. No one ever did this for him, maybe Chase just had a motive. _

_"Of course I did my love, I want you to be happy, I want you to feel as beautiful as you are. I love you, ever single part of you." Chase's golden eyes had been hot with desire and love and Jack felt his fears disappear completely. He lifted his body, pressing his thin frame again Chase's muscled one. This enacted a growl from the Chinese man, who bent and attacked Jack's neck with gentle bites and licks. _

_Jack had always been sensitive. He was always very ticklish and super sensitive to touch so everything Chase did to him made him moan or cry out from pleasure. Chase was so delicate with him, treating him with such kindness Jack felt himself grow even more heated from love. _

_"Chase..." He moaned, his body twitching with desire, his arms wrapped around Chase strong shoulders and his fingers dug into the man's back as he ground himself against Chase, rolling his hips to buck against Chase's. He felt Chase's hard length pressing into his thighs and he maimed into Chase's mouth. Opening his legs he wrapped the around Chase's strong waist, arching into his body so Chase was pressing against the crevice of Jack's pale ass. _

_Jack giggled as Chase's hands gently ran across his ribcage, and Chase looked up into Jack's eyes. "sensitive there are we?" Chase said, a teasing glint entering his perfect features. _

_By the time Jack realized what was about to happen it was too late, "no, Chase please don't..." But it was too late, the bigger man began to tickle him mercilessly, and soon they were rolling on the bed together laughing and playing, as Jack knew they should. It was what he wanted more dearly than anything else. To be with this man, and just…have someone keep him warm and safe. _

"_Jack?" Chase whispered into his ear, his breath tickling the soft white skin. _

"_Yes?" _

"_I…I love you. And I want you to know, that no matter what, I love you and I will always be here for you. Just say my name." Chase's voice was husky with emotion, and soon Jack felt a tear slid down his cheek. He moved his hand to cup Chase's cheek, before he pushed their lips together. _

_It wasn't a soft kiss, it wasn't chaste, it was desperate. Jack wanted to burn up in this heat, wanted to feel nothing but this passion engulf him. Soon he felt Chase's hands roam again and he used all his strength to push against the bigger man. _

_They pushed against one another, desperate and hungry, moaning and violent. Jack moaned as Chase reached down to cup his member. Jack rubbed himself against Chase, feeling himself going higher and higher and higher until he felt…._

"…Sir?"

Jack snapped back. Blinking once, then again until his surroundings came back to him. He was at the hotel in Paris, and from the look on the desk clerk, he had been reliving last night's dream very openly.

Jack felt the blush heat up his pale cheeks before smiling at the girl and muttering an excused apology before taking the offered card key from her and headed up to his room. However he was stopped when the girl called out.

"Yes?" He turned back to her, smiling and waiting to hear what she wanted to say.

"Your guest is waiting in the formal dining room on the fourth floor sir." She smiled hesitantly.

_Guest? What guest I don't know what…unless…no they wouldn't. they couldn't. _Jack smiled and nodded his head before continuing towards the elevator. He barely felt himself move, didn't feel himself get into the elevator and push the button for four, his mind was too far away, thinking like the old Jack, trying to call up any plausible solution, trying to remember the fastest exits, remembering where he kept his spare cash in case he needed to run.

The elevator opened up to the fourth floor and Jack stepped out. The sudden onslaught of noise awakened him from his revere. He moved slowly through the rooms, not stopping to admire the classic beauty of the design and architecture. Only keeping his eyes on any familiar face. He approached the bar area, filled with couches and coffee tables, where handsome couples strolled around and sat gracefully like mannequin's with heartbeats.

Jack felt his tension relieve. The front desk girl must have made a mistake. No one was here for him. Feeling relaxed he meandered over to one of the giant windows that faced the Eiffel Tower across the Seine river. The weather had quickly gone south, clouds rolling in and soon it seemed there would be rain. But he was here inside and he felt nothing could go wrong.

He looked up and down the row of tables in front of the window hoping to see a free table where he could enjoy the view.

Then he saw them. Sitting together at one of the sofas that was parallel with one of the giant windows near the edge of the room. Dressed in high fashion clothing with martinis in hand. Talking quietly to one another while staring out into the landscape. Her legs were crossed delicately and she rested gently on his shoulder, while his arms was around her thin body, looking every inch the power house he was.

His parents.

Jack felt his heart drop to his stomach before he felt the blossom of anger burn in his gut. How _dare _they come here and ruin his last few days. How could they do this to him? All he wanted was a nice quiet vacation. And yet….they had to ruin it. _No they will NOT._

Jack swept across the room, eyes focused on his parents, his confidence growing with each step. They couldn't hurt him anymore. This time they _would _listen to him.

"What are you two doing here?" Jack spat out when he stood in front of his parents, looking down into their faces, rage apparent on his own.

"Jack sit down, we will discuss this—"

"Shut-up father." Jack said, enjoying the amount of shock on his parent's faces.

"Jack don't talk to your father—" He cut his mother off too.

"Give it a rest mother." He sighed heavily. "Now you two are going to listen to me for once in your miserable money obsessed lives got it?" He said it with such authority that both his parents nodded silently.

"I have lived my entire life feeling insignificant and weak and ugly because of you two. I'm now dying because of it. And the fact that the two of you have the sheer nerve to show up here, on _my last few days of happiness, _is just an insult to the Spicer name. You couldn't just let me die in peace could you? I went through years and years of being belittled by the two of you because of my albinism, a disease that one of you caused me! And you two have always used me as a weapon to hurt one another, and I don't _care _about whether you two are fighting now or not, though by the looks of it you're chummy as a whore and syphilis."

Jack's eyes narrowed and he hissed the last part, watching his parents faces go pale with guilt, and finally, _finally, _feeling the immense satisfaction of seeing his parents hear him speak.

"And just for the record, I love the fact that I'm gay, and I want you both to know how great I was at making money and how I am _the best at whatever I choose to do. _And it took me dying to finally figure it out. So if you two came here for any other reason than to apologize to me and actually attempt to be civil and polite to me and try to actually get to know your own son less than a week before his expected demise then you can get the hell out of Paris, because this city is mine." Jack spat out the last part before huffing, and collapsing into a seat.

"Jack…" His mother began, "I…well, darling I just…we are sorry." She set her cocktail down and stood up, before swaying over to sit next to him. Jack straightened and stiffed when she put her hand on his shoulder.

"We've thought long and hard about all this, and your father and I have decided…well we've been terrible to you. But you have to know that we're Spicers…we're terrible with emotion and love and anything remotely like it."

Jack gave a chuckle at that. It was true. They were all completely retarded when it came to emotion. Harrison stood and came over to sit next to his wife, "Son, are you sure there's no cure?"

"Yes. I'm going to die. We'd need a miracle to save me." Jack looked directly into his father's eyes, seeing, for the first time, what some would call…a father.

"Well then," his mother said, "no point in moping around is there? Jack, we'd be honored and delighted if you would join us for dinner tonight? Let's get to know each other." She smiled at her son, and he felt himself smile back.

"I'd like that."

**AAAAAA**

**"**And so you see, Master Dashi, that is our problem, do you think you could spare the Xiaolin magic for this purpose?" Fung stood at the top of Xiaolin mountain, inside the great temple of the masters, the grand rulers of the side of Light in their final resting place.

Dashi stood before the ancient master and smile down upon the sight, he had always like the Spicer kid, he had spunk. Pizzazz. Good sense of dramatics. And Dashi, being the great man he had once been, and the spirit he remained, had a thing for spunky dramatic pizzazz kids with a shit past and no future. It showed character, it showed class, and hell, it was downright amazing that Jack Spicer had done all this.

"Fung, dude, but he's on the Heylin side...last I checked they weren't exactly known for their honesty, how do you know this isn't a trick, the whole will isn't some sort of total lie?" Fung sighed at the question and turned away from the Great Monk to gaze up and around at the spectacle of the burial ground.

Alight with thousands of candles that floated gently on the stream of water that circled the small islands in the center, the whole chamber was meant to represent a world in perfect balance. The wall were carved in the form of temple fronts, and to an extent, they were temples themselves. Carved into the great mountain. Each small island that was connected represented a part of the world, from the softness of the forest in South America, to the frigid northern snows of Russia. The water flowed never-ending, from small pathways and streams, from waterfalls carved into the walls and small lakes in the islands, the giant cavern was a thousand years of dedicated monks carving and sculpting and growing with patience and love for their craft and beliefs.

Fung's head rose slightly to look directly at Dashi, and he sighed. "Many a year I have known Spicer, he may be a genius but he stunted emotionally. The sheer pain I was able to see in his face, not to mention the smell of defeat and death that lingered around him was overpowering."

Dashi swayed slightly and thought for a few moments, _if Spicer is telling the truth then…saving him wouldn't be a bad thing, the kid could join the order…no, no, that would be a disastrous, this kid need something different…_ "Alright Fung, you have my word, bring Spicer to me and I'll make everything better."

Fung smiled slightly up at the grand master before bowing deeply, "thank you Dashi, now I have one final request?"

"Yep?"

"Can you possible send me back down to the temple? It's a long walk and I'm not exactly young any longer."

"Oh! Yeah," Dashi's fingers snapped and soon Fung felt the pull of magic, "see ya dude make sure you get Spicer here soon!"

And then Fung was standing alone in his chambers at the temple, the sounds of the monks training outside and the wind chimes met his ears, and he felt his body relax. _Find Spicer. Now! _The thought shot through his mind, remembering he was on a tight schedule, one that he couldn't miss.

"Monks! Young ones!" Fung cried as he strode quickly from his chambers, "Hurry, and find Dojo, you have a very important mission that you must complete immediately!"

**AAAA**

Chase had never liked French people. He didn't like the language, the food, or the architecture. Too ornate and gaudy. _He who lives in giant decadent cave of wonders shouldn't be throwing stones. _The voice in his head was starting to sound like Jack again. Much to his immense pain. And yet, even as the voice said all the little annoying things that normally Chase would have hated to hear from anyone, suddenly there was a strange need just to hear that little idiot's voice.

And so he found himself lashing out even more than normal, taking out every single annoyance in his pathway, from buses, to bikes, to monuments, to some poor old Canadian who really needed to learn that "no, I don't want to help you understand the bus route" meant "no, I don't FUCKING WANT TO FUCKING HELP YOU".

_Damn Canadians. _

"I've never seen you so upset Chase. This is probably the funniest thing I've ever seen." Wuya on the other hand was having a ball. There was nothing quite like watching her oldest friend lose his self control over a boy who he supposed didn't care about and was only here for her sake and for that of Dojo's.

"I mean really, I haven't had this much fun since the execution of the Tang dynasty elders." Wuya smiled sickeningly at the memory. She would always be a bitch. And God it made her feel good. "I still do not understand any of this Chase, this is so very unlike you…unless you have secretly been wanting Jack without telling me?" She kept her voice light. No need to upset the beast.

But even that slight jest seemed to be enough to push Chase's delicate nerves right over the edge. "I do _not _care about that little worm, I am here solely for the reason that Dojo requested that we see him. After this the dragon and I will be equal."

"Still feeling guilty about trying to eat Dashi's pet dragon hmm?" Wuya picked some dirty from under her nails and flicked it off into the river that lay beneath the bridge that she and Chase leaned against, the latter hunched over, golden eyes searching the water, the former leaning back and staring up at the Eiffel tower.

"You know, I think I've changed my mind about this city, I'm starting to think it might just be my new vacation spot. And the people seem genuinely sweet…well, at least the non-Canadian ones." She laughed out loud, her musical laugh making several tourists stopped and stared for a moment before going back to their own business.

Chase sighed and turned towards Wuya slightly, barely moving his mouth, "What do you think has become of him." There was no question about it. They both knew what was happening to the young genius, it hadn't been hard at all to track down his doctor's office and steal the medical file. But something about hearing, and saying it out loud somehow, maybe, just maybe would bring forth and answer they hadn't seen.

"By now his organs will have started to shut down, and black blood will soon be oozing from his nose and mouth if he doesn't eat enough. His brain will begin to short circuit his nerve system, he will be experiencing extreme pain followed by long periods of numbness, and he won't be able to be in the cold for much longer, strange how he's choosing Russia as his resting place. Country has more ice per square capita then people." She sighed and pushed herself off the wall of the bridge and began to stroll down the walkway towards the Eiffel tower.

The sun shone brightly above and soon she found herself pulling an umbrella from her sleeve to block the harsh rays of the sun. Tan as her skin was, she burned easily and she didn't fancy meeting Jack's parents with a burned body. Her high red heels _clicked_ against the pavement as she approached the monument.

Chase fell instep beside her, and they made a formidably pair the two of them, her in her short red dress with high heels and her long flowing mane, him in a tight black shirt and business pants, armor at home. Thanks to their evil, they had kept their youth, only being in their early twenties. But the hardened look in their eyes is what kept people from bumping into them, kept all the street vendors away from them.

Soon they were in line to ride to the top, and they moved slowly with the rest of the world. Secretly they were both relieved to go a few minutes alone, slowly, normally, and mortally. It was a relief to no longer have to keep up the cold façade.

"You know no one will think any less of you if you like him, or whatever you choose not to feel towards him." Wuya said as they stepped into the elevator that would take them to the first floor.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Chase didn't look her in the eye.

"Darling, we've know each other a long, long time. I know you, I've known you. We both know it's been a long time since you felt anything other than hatred, or companionship. So I understand if you're struggling. But I think it's about time you pulled that stick out of your ass and got off your high horse and started living a little bit hmm? It might even be an improvement."

She stepped out of the elevator with the rest of the crowd leaving Chase standing in the back of the elevator until he too, walked off to the level. They strolled in silence to the restaurant where Wuya gave the hostess the name on their reservation.

They were lead over to their table, overlooking the Seine River and the skyline of the city of Love. Silently sitting, Wuya ordered a bottle of wine and Chase unfolded his napkin and placed it in his lap.

When the wine was poured and Chase had approved it Wuya looked over to view her companion's face. There was something there, deeply etched into the skin and the eyes, that showed he was deep in confusing thought.

"Let's say I did have feeling, other than pure hatred for Jack." Wuya blinked, and focused on Chase's golden eyes, their gaze meeting. She slowly nodded, and he continued, "What am I supposed to do? Hmm? Declare passionate love for him? Confess that I dream of him during the nights?"

"You dream of him?" Wuya smiled even though she tried to contain it, "why Chase, I had no idea you were such a romantic."

"Silence witch." Though his words were harsh, a gentle blush painted the high cheeks and the arch of his nose. _This is utterly embarrassing, why oh why did I choose to talk to Wuya about this issue. Though is it really an issue? Jack has wanted me for so long, it'd be so easy to just…take him. _

"Chase?" He looked up into emerald eyes, the question apparent.

"What?"

"Didn't hear me at all did you?" She had an amused look on her face and she smirked when he shook his head, "I asked you if you were ready to order, this nice young lady has been standing here for about a minute." She nodded her head in the direction of the young French woman that stood patiently waiting.

"Yes of course." The smile came easily, and he rattled off a quick order in French, waiting for Wuya to finish ordering before turning back to face the redheaded witch. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be thinking here Wuya. It's a rare thing for me, I know but that doesn't make it any easier."

Wuya felt her insides melt. And she knew that she would finally, finally, finally be able to tell Chase _exactly _what to do. "I have a plan. But you have to tell me exactly what you feel for Jack."

"I think…I think I might well, care about him."

"…Chase."

"Fine, damn you, I think he is…well he would be a good…companion."

Wuya oozed of skepticism.

"Ugh, my God Wuya what do you want me to say? That every time he comes crawling on his knees begging to stay with me all I can think about is how nice it would be to have someone with that kind of IQ around so as not to be bored? That it would be nice to have someone who I can teach and train with and have a conversation with? Someone who I can sit with and share warmth during a cold night? Someone who doesn't see me as a monster? Yes damn it Wuya, that if what I fucking want. And yes, Jack could give that to me." He huffed, his whole monologue done lowly and quietly but with vigor and anger.

Wuya sat back in her chair and smiled. _Oh Chase, you've made this too easy. _

**AAAAA**

"Dojo why does Master Fung wish us to recover Jack Spicer?" Omi asked the dragon as they touched down onto a rooftop near the center of Paris's Business district. The dragon shrunk back down to his lizard size and snaked his way up Clay's tall muscled body and sat himself onto the Texan's shoulder before turning his eyes onto Omi.

"Fung and I both need to speak with him about a very important Xiaolin matter. And unfortunately I don't really think Spicer will be very open to the idea…so I'm going to need the four of you to provide some muscle." Dojo said to Omi, his eyes trained past Omi to gaze into the center of Paris, hoping that his keen senses would be able to locate Jack before too long.

They were losing time. They needed to find the albino before it was too late, or Jack would be either dead or too weak to make the trip back to China. _If we don't find him, then hopefully Wuya and Chase will…Dashi I hope to hell I wasn't wrong to put my trust in those two. _Dojo let a small breath puff through his nostrils before turning sharply to Raimundo, "Raimundo, you've got the wind on your side, go and find Spicer. Now."

Rai looked at the small dragon and gave a quick affirmative nod, before jumping high in the air and was captured by a gust of wind. Soon the young dragon warrior was rushing through the air of Paris, keeping his eyes peeled for a flash of red and white, or hoping, maybe o hear that oh so unique squeal. _Whatever you did Spicer I hope you're okay…I've never seen him look so damn depressed. He got rid of his lab, he isn't showing up to showdowns, he gave us all the Wu, I hope he isn't like, being blackmailed. _Raimundo didn't hate Jack, but he wasn't allowed to like him. So with these confusing thoughts to follow him, Rai surfed the air hoping to find their albino frenemy.

"Omi, I want you and Clay to go search all the museums and places of interest…Spicer's probably going to want to be around culture. Find him." Dojo said before jumping off of Clay's shoulder to land in Kimiko's arms.

"Okay Dojo, what do we do if we find him?" Clay asked.

"Send up a signal and keep him there, the rest of us will be there shortly." The two monks nodded in the affirmative and before long they were up in the air jumping across rooftops in search of Jack.

"Alright Dojo, spill." Dojo twisted his body to look up into Kimiko's eyes. The gleam of knowledge was there, and the dragon sighed, _I knew this would happen…women and their intuition. I tried to tell Fung but noooooo…wouldn't listen to the dragon, even if I DO have fifteen hundred years on him. _

"I don't know what you're talking about Kimiko."

"Don't play dumb with me mister, I know you and Master Fung are hiding something, this isn't like you too…so tell me why we're really in Paris looking for Jack."

"I'd tell you, but I doubt you'd be able to keep it to yourself," he said jumping to the ground and enlarging himself until he and she were face to face.

"God Dojo, just cause I'm a girl mean I'm going to gossip? Seriously?"

"Why does it matter, you don't even _like_ Jack."

"That's not true." Her eyes shifted focus to look to the side, and for the first time in a while Dojo began to question how well he actually knew these kids. Kimiko especially was an enigma, being not only female, but a fiery one at that.

"I had no idea that you cared for him."

"We all do Dojo; it's just hard to express it. Something's wrong with him, that much is easy to see. And it's not doing any of us any good not knowing what it is. Of course we like him; he's a pretty good guy once you get him away from all this being Evil shit." Kimiko toyed with one of her hot pink braids. Twirling her natural black hair in the extension she looked past Dojo to the Eiffel tower.

"He's dying. And we need to bring him to Xiaolin Mountain. Dashi wishes to see him." Dojo said quietly. Kimiko's head whipped back to face Dojo and her mouth was wide open, almost as wide as her eyes.

"He's what? We're taking him to….? But Master Fung said we can never approach Grand Master Dashi unless…" Her eyes darted left to right and her hands flew around with her words, wildly and without real meaning.

"This is important Kimiko, you cannot tell the others; this is supposed to be a secret."

Kimiko closed her mouth and her eyes focused onto Dojo's own. She nodded slowly, even though he could still sense the massive amount of confusion that surrounded her. "Alright then, come on girly, let's find us a Spicer."

She smiled slight and jumped off the roof, Dojo sailing behind her. All the while her mind was racing faster than her feet. _Jack dying? But…And if Master Fung wants us to bring him to Grand Master Dashi won't he grant Jack the same type of immortality that Wuya has? But…is Jack really that special? Yeah he probably is. God I should've just stayed in Tokyo. _

**AAAAAA**


	5. Chapter 5

**Another? xoxo**

**AAAAAA**

Dinner with his parents hadn't been that bad actually. When they really tried to be a family and talked like civilized people, they had a lot in common that they hadn't known before. While Jack still felt slightly awkward about being around his parents he found that maybe, just maybe, he would be able to leave on better terms.

Though his father had been a little upset about him leaving his entire inheritance to the Xiaolin temple, they had worked through it and came up with the conclusion that it was a better idea than it had originally sounded. That and the death glare his mother had given both him and his father had made the compromise much smoother….

"_Well Jack, this was…surprisingly interesting and pleasant." His father had said to him at the end of dinner, their coffee and cheeses sitting in front of them, a traditional French course following dinner. Even though it had been more than slightly awkward at the beginning, soon the Spicers had connected, tentatively, but still connected. _

"_I enjoyed this as well Jack, do you think you would be available tomorrow afternoon to go shopping with me? I have to go to Oprah's annual Charity ball and I have nothing to wear, I was hoping that maybe you could…pick out an outfit for me?" His mother asked hesitantly. _

_Jack's brow's crinkled in thought, he was supposed to leave tomorrow for Russia but…he missed his mother and wanted to spend at least a little more time with her. "Of course mother, I'd be delighted to help you, how about eleven? We could grab breakfast and some hot chocolate at Angeline's?" _

_His mother gave him a breathtakingly beautiful smile, "That sounds wonderful darling, Harrison? I know you're busy tomorrow afternoon but you could join us for a little while?" Jack looked sharply over at his father, waiting for the answer. _

_Harrison looked from his son to his wife back down into his own coffee, "Unfortunately Delilah I'm busy all afternoon." Jack felt his smile drop, the disappointment apparent. "But if we make it ten instead I'm sure I can make it for a while, then we can meet up for dinner and even go to a show, I'll book us tickets."_

_Jack's smile came back full force, and he raised his head to look at his father, "I think we can charter a helicopter over to London, I hear they have much better theatre, plus being able to understand the show would be a welcome improvement." He said the last part with a dry humor._

_Both his parents laughed and they all shared a look of contentment. It would never be an easy smooth sort of loving family. But in this unique, tentative way, they had found some middle ground. _

"_Alright well, we have to get back to our room if you expect us to be up by ten," his mother stood smiling, "Come on Harrison, let's go. We'll see you tomorrow morning Jack." _

_He stood as well and smiled, "see you then mother, father." He pulled his coat on and walked with them to the front of the restaurant where the Spicer parents had a car waiting for them._

_Just before they stepped in his father turned around and offered his hand to his son, Jack took it and shook it firmly. No words, but then, none were needed._

_As his father stepped into the car his mother stood there, facing the car before quickly turning around and pulling her son into a tight hug. Awkward Jack put his arms around his mother, placing his head in the crook of her neck._

"_We love you Jack, really we do, and I'm so sorry baby that it had to be like this." She whispered into his ear before pulling back. Brushing a tear away she kissed him on the cheek and stepped into the car._

_Jack smiled and said, "I love you guys too." Before the window drew up and the car pulled seamlessly into traffic. He waved to the car for a moment before turning around and started walking down the streets of the darkened city. He approached the Eiffel Tower and gazed up at its beauty, wishing he had his helipack to carry him up to the top. _

_Soon though he found himself wandering down to the docks waiting for one of the river taxi's to come to its stop. Hoping it would be one of the one's with a restaurant and a dance floor on it. His question was answered because not a moment later a large boat pulled up and the crew unloaded a gangplank. Several passengers stepped off, all in formal evening attire. _

_Jack smiled at the young man who assisted him onto the gangplank, but when the handsome fellow spoke to him in fast French Jack gave him a questioning look; French had not been a language he had focused on._

"_Ah," The young man said with a smile, "you are an American yes?" His eyes crinkled in amusement and he followed Jack up the gangplank and onto the ship._

"_Yes, I'm American." Jack didn't know what to make of this, he was being talked to. By a very good looking charming tall French man. A very tall charming French man who actually appeared to be genuinely interested in what he would say._

"_And I am Luc." The French man—Luc, held out his hand and Jack placed his own in it gently, "I'm Jack." He blushed deeply when Luc lifted his hand to his lips and kissed the delicate pale skin of Jack's knuckles. That was the first time anyone had every done something so intimate to him. It felt good. _

"_Well…Thank you, nice to meet you too Luc." Jack smiled up at the handsome man. It was impossible to say why this man had chosen him to talk to, but maybe that was alright. Maybe it was time to not think about things in too great a detail._

"_What is a…handsome man like you doing all alone in the city of love Jack?" Luc asked him as he guided him to one of the table near the dance floor. Jack sat down and looked over to Luc who sat down across from him._

"_Won't you get in trouble for not working?" Jack looked around nervously._

"_I'm am done for tonight, I was going to get off but I saw you, you seemed very much in need of company so I decided to stay for a while." Luc smiled at him, but it wasn't a leer or even a smirk. He seemed to be genuinely interested in Jack's wellbeing. _

"_That's very sweet of you to say Luc." He blushed again and smiled._

"_So why're you here Jack?"_

"_I'm…very sick, and I've always wanted to see Paris, I just wish that…"_

"_What cherie?" Jack smiled at the nickname for darling. _

"_I had this…list that I wanted to finish. But…I've always wanted to dance with someone on one of these boats but I can't dance and I have no partner so…" Jack trailed off and sighed looking over at the Seine river as they lazily drifted down, the soft jazz music moving the couple across the dance floor underneath the glittering lights strung above them. _

"_Well we cannot have that can we?" Luc said with a smile, soon Jack found himself being pulled out of his seat. He laughed as Luc pulled him on the floor and wrapped his arms around the taller man's neck, allowing himself to be gently swayed and directed around the floor…. _

Jack smiled at the memory of last night, Luc had been so sweet to him, and when the boat had docked by his hotel, he had let Luc gently guide him off the ship and kissed his hand one more time. The French man had been so kind and gentle and understanding. Nothing like Chase. But even now as Jack sat in the faux gardens of his hotel room, he knew he would never see Luc again, and that his heart still had a soft spot for the reptilian overlord.

"Oh Chase, all I wanted was just a little bit of love." He said with a sigh, turning on his side to gaze out the glass to the city beneath, the moon casting dull shadows onto his thin form, and even as he sat there, he felt the bitter iron taste of his own decay crawl around his mouth.

Rising and going to bathroom he flicked on the lights to see the black goo ooze from his lips and nose, even a small amount from one of his ears. He quickly spit into the sink and grabbed the bottle of pills his doctor had prescribed to stop the leaking. Swallowing one of them he quickly stripped down and stepped into the almost full bathtub, loving the feeling of the water as it slowly rose around him. The scent of the bath salts and potions he had added pulling the stress right off of him.

_Death has never been so damn welcome, _Jack thought with a smile, his eyes closing slowly and the gentle warmth of the water pulling out all the coldness and weakness of his poor dying body.

**AAAAA**

"This is not a good idea." Chase growled at Wuya from his position on the small circular stage in _Madame Brandon's Couture _shop in the fashion district of Paris. He stood very still as a young and petite French woman gracefully and efficiently pinned and sewed the custom black suit to fit the contours of Chase's hard muscled body. Wuya for her part was lounging on a silk covered white chaise lounge.

Dressed in a long flowing red day gown she looked every inch the witch with tall red and black stripped heels, laced fingerless gloves the wrapped delicately around her long black nails and thin fingers to rest delicately on her wrists. Her long red mane was piled high with black diamond pins and it fell artfully in a hot mess around her violent green eyes.

"Regardless of what you think, and your wrong by the way, this is what is going to happen. You asked my opinion and you wanted my help. I lived with Jack for _years _Chase; I know every single working of that over powered massive brain of his. Believe me. Win his parents and you'll have him. He craves their love. She ended her statement with a delicate chuckle and sipped on the icy cosmopolitan that sat in her grip.

"It had better work. I hate making a fool of myself, and I'd hate to kill an entire restaurant of people to hide my shame." He smirked and Wuya giggled to hide her slight twitch of fear. Chase's confidence, while as massive as his hair, was a delicate thing, one wrong word and the whole thing shattered. _Shame he doesn't know how to take a damn joke. Maybe if he gets Jack's ass it'll get rid of the stick shoved up his own. _

With the image in mind she choked on her drink with laughter and Chase twisted sharply, narrowly avoiding a stabbing of a pin had it not been for poor Marie's quick hands with the needle, _Mon Dieu these Americans are strange. Then again all of them are, so obsessed with large romantic gestures, I swear…_ "Far too overdone for this poor boy." She muttered under her breath.

Damn shame Wuya had ears like a damn hawk. "_Excuse moi_ Mademoiselle?" Wuya's tone was sharp and her eyes were trained on the light blue orbs of the now blushing French girl. But her mentor and employer, Madame Brandon had told her to be honest with customers, so she would be.

"Madame, I have heard you talk of this Jack for over an hour, if you show up at dinner after all the negative that has happened, he will expire from surprise on the spot." She punctured her words with a quick stitch up Chase's arm, for his part, the man seemed enwrapped in what She was saying. 

"A French woman would never allow her suitor to do something like that, she would have nothing prepared for herself. And this young man of yours," she looked questioningly up at Chase who merely nodded, "he seems very…French to me. Dramatic, but sweet and vulnerable, tough as brick on the outside, sweet as honey in. Oui?"

Chase seemed to absorb the words slowly, but he nodded with them answering, "Oui, pray continue." The woman, Wuya raised herself from her position and set her glass on the small table near her before crossing her legs, "Yes, pray continue." Her tone was not as nice as the man's was, but Marie was used to it. Her female customers were always a little snottier, but none of them were as pretty a this one was.

"Send him a handwritten letter, they are sweet and simple. Explain everything, use as many pages as you need, but you mustn't hide a single thing, become as open and vulnerable as you can. Then you must see him before this dinner, only for a moment; tell him that you are sorry, that you must meet his parents in order to gain approval. And then you must stay in the restaurant with him, even after his parents have left, it will give him comfort. Buy him café, yes? And tell him, in only the words that you would use, that you are in love. But nothing dramatic, that will not be you, that is him. Oui?"

"But then I will be open, what if he reject me? What if he doesn't invite me? What if he hates me?" Chase tone was harsh. Marie turned to face him and began the final touches.

"Monsieur, that is love. Caring for someone enough to let your wall down for not only him, but everyone in sight, because he will be your wall." Marie fixed his collar and smiled, "_Et voila! Fini! C'est tres beau pour vous!" _

She quickly gathered her things, and turned, "I will have your payment in but a moment."

**A**

Wuya watched with an amused smile as the girl walked into the back of the shop. Turning to Chase's still stunned face she stood and glided over to him, pulling a bang out of his face and behind his ear. "That was…interesting."

"I do believe I could learn to tolerate the French." Chase's voice also held an amused tint to it. "And as much as it pains me to say this Wuya, I think I like her advice more than yours. We're going with her plan." Chase smirked at the indignant look that took over the witch's face.

"Fine then, go ahead and trust a silly little French seamstress, God. I can't believe…after all the work I did for this to actually…absolutely…." She turned away muttering to herself the entire way out of the shop.

Soon the shop girl returned with the bill for the suit, and Chase promptly paid it, thanking the girl for all her advice before finding himself in the awkward position of accepting a kiss on each cheek from the small girl, who smiled and said, "He is a very lucky man I believe."

Chase felt a small murmur in the vicinity of his heart, a pull of gratitude for this silly little mortal woman who had given him all he really needed to help win Jack. Even though he knew he already had Jack it still was nice to have this as a way to keep the redhead interested in him for a long time to come.

"Thank you." He said his voice slightly stiff with emotion. Too long had it been, since he had felt something like this. _Such a waste of centuries, living without anything inside, _he thought as he walked out of the shop, bag in hand, ideas for the love letter bouncing around in his head.

**AAAAA**

Raimundo didn't like this. He was not a big fan of going to places that didn't speak English, Portuguese, or Chinese. And he really didn't like Chinese all that much either but, he did live in China. The French were…unpleasant to be around, even if their women were sexy little teases, they still got under his skin with their language. It was so not as romantic as Portuguese. _French is good for flowers, Portuguese is good for bed. _His father had always said before smiling and winking at his mother, who giggled madly like a lovesick school girl.

But here he was, trying to find Spicer of all people in the "City of Love" _what a joke. Nothing romantic about this place. At all. I mean, it doesn't matter that I can hear music from every damn corner, or romantic lighting everywhere, or tables for two at every damn restaurant. _

"Careful Rai, your face might get stuck that way if you hold it for too long." Clay's drawl ran over his skin and he looked up in surprise at the big cowboy. He hadn't heard him approaching at all. Clay had become a much more peaceful warrior than all of them, but that was who he was, solid, dependable. Like earth.

He looked like it too, 6'5, broad shoulders and large arm muscles, a small tight waist with rock hard abs; he was a beautifully crafted man. Rai blushed at the thoughts, knowing he had no place thinking them quickly focusing on the more important matter, "Why are we looking for Spicer?"

"Don't know, Master Fung wants him, so we're gunna get him." They stood, well Rai stood and Clay sat, and Rai couldn't help but feel his heartbeat speed up just a little bit. So close, _so damn close, _and yet so far. Rai felt a pull at his heart, and then he remembered the subject of their talk; Jack Spicer_. _

"Yeah but why did Spicer have to come here?" Rai sighed and his face fell into a frown again. And why wouldn't it? They had practically combed this city though before Kimiko had dragged Omi and Dojo off on a "Not for the real men" expedition. So here he and Clay were, on the edge of one of the old residential building near the river. And Rai was sick to death of all the damn romance.

"Ah come on Rai, you're not the least bit excited to be in the city of love?" Clay stood and came over to Rai, bumping his shoulder gently with his elbow. Rai snorted and bumped the cowboy back.

"Hell no man, this place sucks."

"Your just pissed cause you're all alone dude." _Yes damn you Clay, I am all alone, damn you, and your damn muscles, and damn southern charm, and your damn cute smile, and that damned cute drawl, and damn these stupid thoughts about Clay, I'm not gay! And even if I was, he sure as damn isn't! Fuck you God! Making me gay. _

Rai blinked the moisture away and cracked a laugh before spinning on his heel to face Clay, "Man who needs women? Bunch of whiners is what I say, I'm happy single, beside big guy, you're alone too you know." And God if that didn't give Rai some small hope.

Clay smile and scratched the back of his head, "Yeah well, I got my eye on someone." He said with a heavy blush.

Rai felt his blood pump at the sight of the blush. But back to the conversation, "you do huh?" He went right up to Clay's face, inches away and poked the cowboy's nose, "What's her name?" He drew out the last vowel and looked up at Clay with a smirk even as he felt like dying inside.

"Now hold on there, why would I tell you?" Clay bent down and poked Rai right in-between his eyes.

"Cause….we're best buds and you like me." Rai looked up with a smirk, but the smirk fell off his face when he saw the expression on Clay's face. His mouth was turned up with a kind of wonder and his eyes, those big Texas Sky blue eyes were dark as a Brazilian storm.

"Yes. Yes I do. And I'm damn tired of not saying it." Clay whispered and then he bent his head down and captured Rai's lips with his own. And for a moment Raimundo could do nothing, nothing but think, _WHAT THE FUCK? Oh God who cares? _

He wrapped his arms around Clay's broad shoulders and pushed his lips hard against the blonde's. Opening his mouth with a soft whimper he let the bigger man dominate his mouth, but not without fighting back with his own Latin temperament. But God there was no beating Clay. Clay moaned as Rai sucked on his tongue and his hands drifted down from Rai's tight hips to squeeze his even tighter bottom, gently massaging the flesh there, enticing a moan of pure wanton desire from Raimundo.

Raimundo for his part didn't stay still, running his hands along the strong muscles of Clay's back, over his shoulders, one coming to grip the base of the blonde's neck and the other clutching desperately at one's of the Earth warrior's shoulders. When he felt Clay's hands on his ass, his mind went into a flurry of thoughts, _no damn it I'm not a girl, but God it feels so good, and he is such a strong man…oh damn it, I want him to dominate me! _Rai whined into Clay's mouth pushing hard against Clay's tight hot body, feeling the hard length pressed against his stomach and he let out another mewl of need.

Pressing his body up he wrapped his legs around Clay's waist, who in turn held him up with his strong arms resting on his ass, _too many cloths, God yes, Clay so good. So. Damn. Happy. _

Clay broke the kiss and buried his head into Raimundo's neck, mumbling between licks, "Raimundo," kiss, "I need you," suck, "_now." _He growled the last part out, thrusting desperately against Rai's tight body as the smaller man writhed in his arms.

"Take me now. Now." Raimundo whispered gently into Clay's ear, sucking on the lobe delicately. And then, with the pull of magic that Rai felt Clay conjure they were in a room, and on a bed. And he would question Clay's arrogance of getting a room later. Right now he had a Texas Cowboy to attend to.

**AAAAA**

"Kimiko I don't understand why we have left both Clay and Raimundo? We are looking for Spicer, and we could do better if we had them with us." Omi looked over his menu at Kimiko who was madly texting on her phone. They two, along with Dojo sat in a café deck overlooking the busy streets of Paris.

"Because those two need time alone in the city of love." Dojo said before tipping the tall glass of a latte into his face to take a sip. Thankfully no one really seemed to notice the presence of the small dragon/lizard, but still he was careful not to speak too loudly or grow into a bigger form, even if staying this small was difficult for him to even drink a cup of coffee.

"What do you mean Dojo?" Omi swung his innocent gaze to the dragon, who suddenly had no way of explaining what exactly Clay and Raimundo had been dancing around for months now. Kimiko giggled slightly at the dragon's difficulty. Setting her phone down, she had kicked ass at angry birds, she looked over at Dojo who was frantically trying to explain in the most delicate way possible as to why she and the dragon had decided to let the boys fuck their brains out for the afternoon.

"Well Omi," Kimiko said, "Raimundo and Clay like each other. A lot. And they needed to have some time to show their feelings for one another." Dojo sighed in relief at Kimiko's gentle way of putting it.

"Oh, so they're going to have sex then?" Kimiko spit out part of the sandwich she had taken a bit of and Dojo coughed up the coffee he had just swallowed. "What?" Omi looked smug, "you think after living with you three for years and having paper thin walls I don't pick up a few things? I'm not that clueless."

**AAAAA**

Jack was so happy he could die, _and I will. Ha! The saying finally has come to good use in my mind. _But it was true, he had never felt so alive even as pain shot its way through his body he still felt happy. He was lying face down on a massage table getting worked on Pierre and Jacque, both very buff, and very French. Jack gave a long moan as the men cracked his vertebra and allowed the nerve endings to find relief in the exquisite pain of the deep tissue massage.

"Oh God, that's wonderful guys thank you so much." Jack sighed into the towel and let himself become putty on the table. It was going to be a good day, granted he had woken up with a stinging pain in his back and he had throw up twice, both times blood had come up, and he had begun to feel dizzy, it was going to be a good day. Seeing as it was only eleven am he had decided that after this massage he would go sit in the steam room for a while before returning to his room to change for lunch, he wanted to go one last time to have lunch alone at one of Paris's most famous restaurants; Alice's café.

The café was three stories tall and decorated in the classic style of the 1920's in France, creams and grays, tasteful pieces of artwork lit by warm overhead lighting and giant glass windows. Like its sister building, the café showed the graceful and tasteful luxury of its designer. Jack had read about the café in a magazine review on the plane to England, and he was practically salivating after reading the small selection of the menu from the hotel in the review. Filled with decadent items made by the world's foremost pastry chef, Alice's was most famous for their hot chocolate; which combined chocolate flavors from five continents.

Jack could hardly wait until he was seat in one of the plush cushioned outdoor chairs, sitting with his back to the warm Parisian sun and indulge in the finest food in France. He knew exactly what he was going to get too; Alice's famous hot chocolate, which in addition to be international also had the claim of being the thickest and creamiest…you thinned it out with whipped cream, how amazing was that? Jack giggled as he thought of this. He had been dying to try their French fries as well; he had always loved dipping French fries in hot chocolate. Something so cute about doing it, even if he was all alone while doing it.

**AAAA**

Wuya drifted down in a wisp of smoke onto the balcony of the hotel room that Chase had apparently found in order to use as a place to write his romantic love letter to Jack, _what a silly French idea. _Pulling her form together she turned back to face Paris's skyline, resting her arms on the railing she looked down and watched the people go by. Her eyes wondered without purpose until she caught sight of a head of blood red hair walking slowly down one side of the busy street.

Smiling at the sight of Jack and feeling a little bit of mirth at the serendipity of seeing the target of their plans, she gave a small chuckle before following the direction of Jack's path, concentrating until she felt the direction of his thoughts lead her towards his final destination. No surprise he was headed towards the most famous café in Paris. Owned by the same woman who owned the hotel that Jack was staying at, Alice's Café was without a doubt one of the most high class and quality eateries in the entire city. No wonder jack was going there. He always had been a picky eater.

"He'll be having lunch at Alice's, I can tell you that much." Wuya swept from her position standing on the balcony of their suite through the open double doors and over to Chase's shoulder where he sat at the cherry wood desk, staring down at the curved letters that adorned the paper pages that he had just finished composing. She had changed from her earlier gown and was now back to typical Wuya garb, short kimono and her hair piled high on her head, the only change was instead of bare feet she had on a pair of heels, black as her dress and high as a sky scraper.

"And?" Chase said. Not looking up from the page, trying to think if he wanted to add a P.S to it or leave it as it was.

"I do believe, my dearest friend that, that would be an excellent time to give Jack his letter, since he will be alone to read it, and there will be ample opportunity to watch him read it without getting caught." She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Chase it's time we speed this up, things need to start happening, he'll be dead soon and I don't think you'll want that. Either he'll be dead or Dashi and those Xiaolin brats will get a hold of him and then he'll never even see you again."

With that she slipped away, slowly disappearing, her body turning to smoke of the darkest blue that lazily drifted out the window and was swept away by the wind. Chase looked over to where she had stood, silently making up his mind. Taking the pages he had written out, he folded them gently and stuck them into an envelope before writing Jack's name on the front.

**AAAA**

**xoxo**


	6. Chapter 6

**Anyone else feel the need for some romance? **

**AAAA**

Raimundo rested his head against Clay's naked chest. Feeling and listening to the strong steady heartbeat beneath the slightly freckled skin, he felt a wave of peace engulf him. Looking up at the teen that he rest on, he saw a content smile on those lips that he had felt so much with. Lips that had made him feel so good. He leaned up, dragging more of his body across Clay's until he rested on top of the big Cowboy and pressed his lips to that smiling mouth. Instantly they responded to his own, and the kiss grew hungry and rough.

He felt Clay's tongue seek entrance into his mouth and he let it with a delicate moan. He had never, ever, once been on the bottom of a relationship. But with Clay it felt to right to be submissive to the bigger man. The power that Clay, his whole personality changed when he was in the bedroom...or the bathroom, and the floor and the balcony. But now, after five sessions of pent up lust and love, Raimundo knew that they had to get up and go meet with Kimiko and Omi and Dojo. How to explain exactly what they had been doing for the past few hours well…they would think of something.

He pulled back from the kiss and gave a heated moan when Clay pressed his quivering member against Rai's stomach. "Clay, baby, we gotta go. We can't." Clay ignored him and kissed his way down Raimundo's throat muscles until he was met with the tight rosy nipple on Rai's peck. Taking the nub into his mouth he rolled his tongue over it and bite it playful, loving the way Raimundo arched into him. Moaning Raimundo pulled Clay's head back up to kiss him before tilting the cowboy's chin up and shaking his head, "we can't baby, we gotta go."

Clay sighed and rolled over so that Raimundo was lying on top of him and pressed his lips against his Brazilian lover's. "I know, but damn it Rai I just got you, I don't want to lose you o share you for a while."

Raimundo felt his heartbeat quicken again a blush spreading across his cheeks and down his whole toned, tanned body. "You won't lose me man, and you only gotta share me with the team for a bit. Then tonight we'll come back and…play." Clay smiled at those words and heaved himself up. Raimundo pulled himself off of Clay and began to slowly get dressed, wincing a little at the dull ache of his rear-end.

Clay came up behind him and hugged him, both of them dressed in their pants. He felt the heat from Clay's bare chest and the low thudding of his Texan heart against his own cool back. "I'm sorry I hurt you Raimundo. Damn it but I wish I hadn't."

Raimundo smiled down at the shirt in his hands and leaned his head back against Clay's shoulder, arching his neck his mouth awkwardly connected with Clay's for a moment. "Clay, _amor_, I loved every second of it and I will always want it. I'm fine. Now get dressed." He smirked at the bigger man and pulled his shirt and shoes on.

Once he and his boyfriend were both dressed they exited their hotel room. Strolling down the long hallway past the windows and open French doors that lined the walls in between the suites the two boys held hands, gently nudging each other on the shoulder and shared in a comfortable silence.

Then a cold voice from behind them interrupted their silence, forcing both men to turn around and stare at the man who spoke, "I always knew you two would end up fucking. And just as well, it seems like you've finally accepted your submissiveness Pedrosa."

**A**

It wasn't that Chase hated the Xiaolin monks. He really didn't. But he was on a mission to find Jack and make some fucking sense out of these feelings that had apparently been sneaking up on him for years. Impending death did tend to alter one's thoughts on a subject, and apparently Chase was not immune to emotion like he had once believed.

And it was due to this, and Wuya's nagging, and his impending sense of embarrassment at the hands of the five paged long letter he had written to Jack, and the knowledge that if Jack chose to go with the Monks and not him, he would never see the red head again; and because of all these reasons that weighed so heavily on his mind, he was pissed-to-shit mad.

So when he left his hotel room, very reluctantly, and saw the two male Monks walking down the _same fucking hallway, in all of Paris and of all the hotels in this damn city, _it had been too great an effort to _not _say something. Chase was one of those men where, when back into a proverbial corner by his own emotional issues, he struck out at anything that got even slightly close to him. And the Monks were just so conveniently there.

So when he saw them, he commented and laughed coldly at the look of shock and shame on their faces of having being caught all cutesy by one of their arch enemies. "Shut up Chase, you don't know anything about this." Clay gestured between the two of them and pulled Raimundo by the waist right next to him, "this is love."

Now that one stung. Considerably. Yes Chase was not a romantic, and yes he was known for his cruelty and nastiness but to say he knew nothing of love, well that was just plain not pretty. But he didn't flinch, and he didn't let it show, he only smirked to hide the thoughts of, _they're right Jack won't accept this, he'll hate me, _and laughed. "Oh I'm sorry, Cowboy you're right, so tell me Pedrosa, how many times did he tell you he loved you? Where did he take you for your date? What gifts has he gotten you?"

At the silence that met his statement, Chase knew he had won, and he felt a sick sense of satisfaction knowing that he was responsible for break the poor little Brazilian's heart. "What? Nothing? Oh so you just slept with him right? Your right Cowboy, I know nothing of love but I know plenty of lust. And what I see is a horny Texan who got comfy between the legs of a little Brazilian boy who was desperate to be loved by a man he would never get." Chase sneered and laughed as Raimundo ripped himself away from Clay and ran towards the stairs.

"Rai! Raimundo!" He yelled and turned back to Chase with murder in his eyes, "you sick son of a bitch, you had no right!"

"I merely said what needed to be said. Now may I make a suggestion you oversized insect? Go after him. Promise him that you do love him, tell him you'll do anything to prove it. Tell him it wasn't just sex. And then tell him that until you can prove it to him that you love him, I would suggest a month or two, you will be celibate. And do not buy him flowers or food. Do something unique and specifically for him. Understand?"

The Cowboy stared at Chase as if he had just admitted he was actually a woman in drag. "I…uh, well I…you…you're sure?"

Chase nodded. "Love is not simple. It is not easy, it means caring for someone enough to let your wall down for not only him, but everyone in sight, because he will be your wall." The words of the seamstress tumbled without effort from his mouth. And now that he said them out loud, they seemed to make a lot more sense.

Clay stood there, staring at Chase, who in turn began to grow restless under the blue gaze of the younger man. "Thank you." Clay muttered slowly before nodding and turning back to follow the man he had just lost.

And as Chase walked towards the elevator, unlike Clay who had chosen the stair, he thought to himself with a sinking sense of dread, _I'm becoming…nice. Jack you'd had better sure as hell be spending the next eternity making this worthwhile. _

**A**

Jack sat at one of the small round tables on the balcony of Alice's Café. The table itself matched the chairs, both made of faded white iron that curved gracefully into small heart shapes on the back of the chairs and the legs of the tables. The tops of tables were of a mosaic of a different landmark of Paris. And the cushion on the chairs matched that. The small centerpiece was a small bowl with a fairy sized garden was, complete with a small house and chair and sign that said "home"; perfect for the fairy people.

He gazed over the railing of the balcony to look down at all the people walking along the river Seine, sighing with pleasure as a cool winter breeze tickled his nose in the bright afternoon sun. it was on crisp clear days like this one that Jack truly loved being alive. And one of the few things that he would actually miss once he was dead. Which, if how he felt was an indication, was fast approaching. He could no longer feel anything physical. He as numb yet warm all over his body and when he had checked his temperate this morning he was running a low fever at 100 degrees. It was a strange sort of occurrence, he could still taste the heat and texture of his food and hot chocolate but he couldn't feel the back of the chair on his spine, or the sun beating down on his skin.

But, as the last few days had progressed, Jack learned to take it all in stride. And he was. So when he had awoken this morning sweating to death and had felt a burning sensation so painful he had screamed bloody murder, he had quickly gone into the bathroom and swallowed one of his high dosage pain killers and stepped into the bathtub, hoping the warm water would speed up the process of healing. So now he was all better, still somewhat upset by the lack of feeling in his body, but better none the less.

He looked down at his bowl of French fries and happily munched on one of them, _I think I might go to the Louvre today. I want to see the Mona Lisa, or maybe the statue of Venus. _Jack smiled at the idea. Today was going to be a good day. And tonight he would be having a final dinner with his parents. So that, by tomorrow morning, if the doctor's clock was correct, he would be dead, which he thought, wasn't as scary or as sad as it had seemed those short weeks ago. Now it just seemed rather…welcome.

"Jack." Jack started in surprise, looking up into the golden orbs of the last person he had ever expected to see.

"Chase. What…What're you doing here?" Jack asked tentatively, not daring to let his mind think of anything, for if his thoughts wandered his hope would get up and he didn't have the heart to withstand Chase crushing them once again.

"I have…what I mean is that I feel, may I sit down?" Chase stuttered slightly which put Jack on edge, nothing ever made the war lord nervous. Something was wrong.

"Of course Chase." He was calm. He told himself it didn't matter that Chase looked amazing in a fitted gray button up and designer black jeans that clung to his form, and his long hair was long and perfect the way it always was. It didn't matter because Jack was as good as dead so there was no reason to be upset that he looked like a pale ragdoll next to Chase.

Not to mention that even though Jack had been sitting here for almost an hour alone, it was completely fine that people were now staring at Chase and subtly pointing at him. Jack felt a flush of embarrassment of shame when Chase sat down so gracefully across from him, _He still is better than me, no surprise. _"How can I help you Chase?"

"I wanted to offer my…sincerest apologies for my words and Wuya's in my lair, those weeks ago. They were…not fit for someone in your condition." Chase's eyes looked Jack up and down, the redhead for his part felt his flush of shame turn into one of anger.

"There is no need to apologies Chase, I'm able to handle words from you and Wuya, I've endured worse." Jack was amazed he sounded so calm and cool. "I do not need or want your pity Chase, so take it somewhere else."

Now it was the warlord's turn to flush with embarrassment, which made Jack feel a traitorous bubble of desire tingle along his skin. "Forgive me Spicer, I mean Jack, I did not apologize out of guilt but rather out of…of, I mean I just…" Chase stuttered even more and his hand clenched into a fist on the table.

"Chase…?" Jack was beginning to think that something was actually wrong with the warlord. "Is everything okay?"

"Just take this and put me out of my misery." Chase thrust an envelope towards Jack, who took it with trepidation. Once Chase was sure that Jack had it in his hand he rose. "Read it, for me please." Chase muttered under his breath, his golden eyes holding gaze with Jack's own red ones.

Jack nodded once and Chase nodded back before walking quickly out of the café. Jack looked around at the patrons that had earlier been staring at the handsome man he had been with earlier but now they had all lost interest and he was left alone with the letter Chase had handed him.

Carefully breaking the seal Jack pulled out the few sheets of paper that had been properly folded and unfolded them, scanning it quickly. It was a note, a letter to him. _Handwritten too, that's so romantic. But why would Chase give this to me…did he write it? Well no time like the present to see. _

He unfolded the papers and found the first page, taking a slow sip of his hot chocolate and looked down at the neatly written cursive. With a small sigh he began to read…

_Dear Jack,_

_You are without a doubt, the most persistent, stubborn, and tenacious person I have ever had the greatest misfortune in meeting. Over the past few years you have filled my life with almost daily interruptions, constantly being there to tell me how much you wish you could be with me and study under me. You became a near constant in my life, something I could come to depend upon with the steadiness and reliability of clockwork. Yet, over these past few weeks I have found that you do not show up to pester me, and even barged into my own home to yell at me. And believe me Jack, that hasn't happened in a very, very long time. _

Jack gave a sinister chuckle at that. He set the letter down, rubbing the small space on the bridge of his nose, feeling a minor headache coming along. As much as he deeply enjoyed being abused by Chase in person, having it being done over a letter was a little too much for Jack. SO he set the letters down and took another sip of his chocolate and ate a few more of his now less-than-steaming-hot French fries. His eyes drifted back down to the letter, _I did promise him I would read it…_Jack sighed loudly and pinched his nose, "fine, fine, God-damn I'll finish it for you Chase." He laughed a little as his own action before picking the letter back up and continuing…

_I have come to understand something over these past few weeks without you constantly being there Jack. I've learned I don't like it when you're not around to bother me with your presents. Without you there I find that I'm almost lonely, and that my home has become rather large and quiet without you constantly being there to fill it with your obnoxiously large presence. What I'm trying my hardest to say Jack is that I…well I miss you Jack, without you, my eternity has become a little longer and less appealing. _

_You are a unique and interesting boy Jack. It's refreshing to meet someone in this modern day and age that actually has at least half a brain, much less someone as genius as yourself. Especially considering you happen to be considerable beauty along with your intelligence. Yes Jack, you are truly beautiful, not in the common sense, and not the sort of beauty that is obvious and so striking. No, yours is a softer sort of beauty that sneaks up on one in the oddest of moments, and then they stick your mind and in your dreams. And I do dream of you Jack, of your eyes that can be as soft as red velvet wine, or as hard and heated as the rubies in my collection, to your skin that is so pale yet alive with a warm of color that cannot actually be there, but allows you to glow like an opal. Such soft skin you have Jack, I have begun to wonder if your lips are soft as well, are your hands covered in calluses from your work or do you wear gloves to protect the skin?_

_I don't know when it started to be honest, these thoughts. When you started to occupy more and more of my time, I didn't and don't like it. It shows how human I still am after all these centuries. That I can still feel something for someone, I can still want and desire and need like the rest of humanity. I desire you Jack, but I believe that maybe my…feelings go beyond mere lust. For what I feel for you is a powerful thing indeed, it must be for there truly isn't much that would persuade me to travel across the world to see you. Even for those brief seconds were I knew I would hand you this letter. _

_I can imagine what I felt, a twist in my stomach at the thought of you, the way you look and the look you give me, a mix of adoration and resignation. I will be nervous, more nervous than I am now. I do not, as you know, express emotion very well. I have lived for over fifteen hundred years with the belief that I am indeed a heartless monster, but it becomes harder to remind myself I don't have a heart when it seems to beat your name. You are the only person Jack who saw me as the dragon I am and didn't shudder with disgust, or become fearful of what I could. I'm still not sure if that was pure stupidity or courage on your part. _

_You are able to look at me at my worst, and still somehow decide that being around me would be a good thing. I fear very little as is in my nature, but I cannot help but fear losing you Jack, to death or to anything else. For I think you might be the one person alive, or dead, that can look at me with the exact emotion I'm missing. The only thing eternity hasn't given me. Do you understand? I wish I could look into your face and hope that you would, because I think writing it might actually kill me. _

_Love. _

_Jack I need it like everyone else. I know that I've treated you worse than dirt these many, many years. It shouldn't matter to me that you're dying, but it does and I think it's because I love you. You have bewitched me, mind body and soul, with your intellect, your personality, and damn you but that smile that I've seen maybe once. I know of your past Jack, and despite the flaws you hold and the fact that your parents were never good to you; it makes my hunger only stronger. You are damaged goods Jack, and I want to protect you and show you that I…that I can be more than the monster I once was. _

_I'm going to be completely honest with you Jack, because I've been told that that's how you know someone is genuine, when they take down their walls. So I can say completely and honestly that…I don't know what I'm doing here. I've never had to say things like this. I've never had to talk about what I feel with anyone. Because no one has made me feel anything other than kinship or hatred in so long Jack. _

_And don't get me wrong, I still find you somewhat annoying. There will most assuredly be issues in the future, I don't know how there can't be, I'm still a monster no matter what, and your still just a child under all that makeup. But Jack I think for you I might be able to try to be the man you need. And I'm finding as I write each and every single letter, I want to be that man more and more. _

_I cannot imagine what you must be feeling Jack, I wish I knew so I could promptly answer your questions. I only hope that you do not reject me. I'm not used to that feeling and I don't want to start anytime soon. And Jack I must tell you how much I wish to apologize for how I have behaved towards you these past few years. I knew what I was doing, I am still aware of the feelings that were once there. But hatred and love are the closest of emotions and you are like a disease, breaking down my defenses and taking over me slowly and wholly. _

_But words can only go so far in this world; one action can mean more than all the thousands of words in these letters. So let my actions speak louder than my words. I would like you to meet me in front of Musée d'Orsay in one hour. Let me take you through the art galleries and tell you the history of each piece, let me show you off to the world. Then I will meet you and your parents for dinner tonight, where I will formally introduce myself to them as the man who hopes to spend a life with their son. _

_Please Jack, give me a chance to show my humane side. My softer side, the side I know you will love. Let me save you Jack. I can and I want to. _

_Please Jack, _

_Chase. _

Jack placed the letter down with a soft whimper. _Chase thinks I'm…beautiful. _Jack sniffed quickly and brushed away the familiar feeling of moisture on his cheek with the side of his sleeve before letting out a giggling sort of cry. "Damn you Chase Young." He whispered as he stared out of the Parisian skyline. His eyes, like the rest of the city's drew towards the Eiffel Tower, and he gazed up at the magnificent structure, his lips wobbling as he thought of all the sweet things Chase had said to him. But how real were the words? _He said to meet him in an hour…but what will he say? What can he do? _Jack slumped into his chair and looked down at his now cold food and drink.

Suddenly the answer hit him. There was no question as to whether or not he was going to go meet Chase and probably be crushed or to ignore this letter, which was in all likelihood a prank. He knew exactly what he was going to do.

"Jack Spicer. Finally we found you." There really was only one person that ever used his full name, and that person never traveled alone. Jack sighed and smiled, _is every single person from my past going to be dropping by? _He turned around and looked up.

"What can I do for the Xiaolin Losers today?"

**AAAA**

_Can I ask why, dear God, oh why did you send the Xiaolin monks? All I want is ONE MORE PEACEFUL DAY. Is that really too much to ask. _Jack felt another headache come creeping forward into his mind. And when he saw Kimiko open her mouth he almost groaned aloud; this was going to be a very painful conversation. No matter the length.

"You know Jack, considering we're here to save you, you could trying being a little nicer to us." Kimiko said with bored sarcasm, a flick of her nails, and a sigh that sounded far too practiced to be real. _God I knew this was going to be painful._

Jack looked at the four standing in front of him, all dressed in street clothing with their arms crossed. Though for some reason Clay and Raimundo seemed to be avoiding each other in every way, being as far apart as possible, though the air seemed to be different, and Raimundo was standing funnily… "My god," Jack muttered, "you two have started fucking. Jesus and Hail Mary, finally." He laughed at the sputtered protest both men offered him before sweeping out of his chair towards the exit. Jack pushed his way past the group without a backwards glance and dropped a lump of cash into one of the waiter's hands before rushing away.

Jack walked quickly, or as quickly as his failing body would allow him to, away from the restaurant. He only had an hour to meet Chase. Or an hour from when he had first gotten the letter, which had been about twenty minutes prior to right now so that gave him forty minutes to make the trek across the Seine and to the other side of the city. Which, all in all, wouldn't take him long if he took the subway. And if he hurried he could get to his hotel to change and freshen up a bit.

Hoping the Xiaolin monks had taken his not so subtle hint and decided to leave him alone, he nearly ran to the nearest subway entrance. Passing by the people of Paris, he dropped change into the hands of every homeless person and every street performer that was setup along the fluorescent lit hallways of the underground transport system. Making the quick decisions as to which station to take Jack wound up sitting waiting for the next arrival of the route he was bound on.

Alone on both sides of the station he waited calmly on one of the benches in the man-made cavern. Staring up at the artfully done advertisements that adorned the adjacent wall, Jack let his mind wander forward to his meeting with Chase; wonder, hoping, wishing he knew what the older man would do once they were face to face.

Jack felt his heart quicken with the idea of Chase saying in person what he had said on paper. That would truly be a dream come true. What would his kiss be like? Would it be soft and light, or harder and more…possessive? Jack hoped for the second one. He was done with delicacies. He wanted it rough and hard and fast. Jack _needed to get laid. _

Jack sighed with pleasure as he sat down on a seat in the subway as his train rushed underneath the streets of Paris. Chase would give it to him. He had no doubt of that; but what if chase wanted to go slow? The letter had been so sweet…Maybe Chase wasn't interested in having sex. Maybe he really…wanted to get to know Jack and meet his parents. _But I wanna get laid! _ Jack huffed at himself. He was getting worked up over nothing. Chase was…well he was…_I have no idea what to expect. _

_What do I say? What if he says something romantic? How can I reply to anything he says? How can I express myself without sounding like an idiot? _Jack's thoughts rushed through his head. But all he knew was that he needed to see Chase. To make sure he wasn't going to die without his first kiss, and if he could get laid out of it too….that would be cool.

As he pushed his achingly dead body through the throngs of the underground crowds of the subways and up into the streets, he felt his heartbeat quicken when he saw one of the giant clocks that hung on the side of a restaurant, he only had another forty minutes to get himself ready. Pulling in a deep breath he put one foot in front of the other until, four minutes and ten second later, he pushed his way into the elevator that lead up to the hotel.

Once he stepped into the opulence of the lobby, his whole body felt uplifted. As if being here was, better for him, he could actually force his sunken eyes to look up away from his shoes and drag a shaky breath into his torn apart lungs. As he pasted by the many graceful members of the hotel guest list, he felt almost as if…they were watching him. They were…looking at him for some reason.

But for the life of him, Jack couldn't figure out why. It wasn't blatant staring, that wouldn't happen. Not in a place like this, but the subtle stares were something Jack was used too. But not of this kind, not when he wasn't doing anything to attract it; so when one man actually blushed when Jack gave him a pointed look while waiting for the elevator up to his room, Jack gave an annoyed sigh.

"_Pardon moi?" _Jack said to the man, who in turn blushed harder but never the less responded with a murmur. The man was young and attractive. Clearly French by the slant of his face and his clothing style, a casual sort of elegance that truly only occurred in this country. Though he was able to see all this, Jack made little note; he had Chase now, or he would have Chase. No one else truly mattered now. But the question persisted in his mind until it forced it way past his tongue.

"Why are you looking at me?" Jack queried with a tinge of annoyance. His blood red eyes sharpened onto the man's grey ones, which instantly lowered with a hard red blush. Jack cleared his throat impatiently when the man made no move to respond.

Finally the man looked up at Jack with a smile that Jack could only label as…flirtatious, and said, "Because you are so beautiful."

Jack died. Had his life been a cartoon, he would have combusted. Right then and there, absolutely blow to pieces like a cheesy Roadrunner cartoon. His mouth fell open and he blinked silently at the man before snapping his mouth shut and hissing, "_Excuse me?" _His tone cold enough to make the young man stutter.

"I don't see the problem, you are…so incredibly unique and lovely. Everyone cannot help but look at you." _This man is clearly insane. Clearly. _But when Jack stepped into his elevator, glaring at the man so that he could have privacy, he turned to the mirror on the wall behind him and stared.

"Am I beautiful?" Whispering its way out of his throat Jack looked up and down at himself. He didn't seem any different from this morning, when no one had glanced at him. Or even at lunch before Chase had shown up. But now…they looked at him with desire. Unless that man had just been insane, though others had looked at him as well.

"Could it be…Love?" Supposedly it made people look differently, like the morning after getting laid. Jack had been at many a coffee shop where girls gushed over each other and how _special _and _pretty _and _glowing _the other looked when they had boyfriends who they were "The Ones". Did Chase make him…sexy?

The thought brought a smile to Jack's face. A bubble of laughter scurried its way from his stomach to his throat and through his teeth. Twisting around in the little space he giggled madly at the thought; Chase made him sexy and desirable. How…new. He could get used to this kind of new, this was a fun kind of new.

When the elevator dinged, Jack skipped out with energy he no longer remembered having. His aches were gone, and his steps were not nearly as heavy. Rushing to meet Chase didn't seem like such a stress. After all, he might be dying, but he was _gorgeous. _And that felt pretty damn good.

He entered his room with a twist of his wrist and the key, humming merrily to himself, planning on what to wear and the soaps to use when he felt a twitch in his gut. Turning towards the parlor he saw, sitting there ever so calm and sweetly, the last thing he wanted to see.

"Hey Jack. Sorry about this." The Xiaolin team was absent. Only Dojo and Raimundo sitting there on one of the couches opposing him, cool as you please. But there was something off, like something, or someone was missing. And then it clicked.

"Sorry? About what?" He felt a sharp pain rack its way across his body from his collar bone, twisting mid-air to see Clay with an apologetic look on his face.

_Chase…I don't think I'll be making it. _He thought before he blacked out, the last words he mumbled slurred by his loss of consciousness, "Forgive me."

**A **

**So dramatic. xoxo**


	7. Chapter 7

**Again. xoxo**

**A **

It hadn't been too surprising to Dojo that Jack hadn't been happy to see them. The scene at the café had done nothing to make Dojo think that Jack was going to be a willing participant. After all, by the looks of the letter that had Chase's handwriting all over it and the delicate tinge of red across Jack's pale skin, Dojo would bet any amount of money he had, that Chase had, in his own way, told Jack how much he cared for him. But they couldn't let Chase be the one to save Jack. Dashi had given orders and they had to be carried out. Besides, the only way Chase knew how to save Jack was to sell his soul.

Dojo wasn't going to let that happen. So when Jack had rushed past the monks and back into the streets of Paris, assuming back to hotel room, Dojo had begun to formulate a plan. A plan that started with him quickly and quietly snatching the letter off the tablet and scanning the neat text.

Though he was interrupted when the monks had begun to pursue Jack through the streets, Dojo quickly whistled to signal the monks to stop, clutching the letter tightly in one small claw. They gathered around Clay as Dojo slithered down the big man's arm to rest in his palms, drawing the four down into a circle, as to hide Dojo from sight.

"What is it Dojo, we could have had him!" Omi said in a loud voice, immediately being shushed by both Raimundo and Kimiko. Omi looked sufficiently chaste for his actions but still muttered under his breath at why they had been forced to stop.

"Omi, we're going to have to be smarter than this. We have to get to Jack before Chase. Dashi has given the orders and you know how angry he gets when things stop going his way." Dojo nearly shuddered at the thought of going through one of Dashi's temper tantrum, _honestly the man is a child,_ but he contained himself. Instead he thrust the letter into Kimiko's hand, with a quick "read it".

As Kimiko's eyes scanned the pages, and Omi peaked over her shoulder, Dojo felt more than heard, the whispered conversation of Raimundo and Clay directly above him.

"We need to talk." Clay whispered calmly.

"No we don't." Raimundo quipped, his eyes not on Clay's but on Kimiko's and Omi's faces, searching for signs of eavesdropping.

"Rai…"

"Don't. Just fucking don't. I'd never thought I'd say that Chase Young was right but here the fuck we are." The anger and hurt and betrayal that was barely contained in his tone made Dojo wonder what had transpired between the two. And why was Chase involved? _This is what I get for hanging around teenagers. I could've retired. Been living in Fiji, but no, I had to do the __**right **__thing. God. _

Dojo huffed quietly to himself and crossed his arms, looking up at Kimiko in time to see her let the pages fall gently to her side. "Dojo…I don't understand. Why are we helping Jack if Chase can help him? Isn't this more of a lover's issue?"

"Wait, since when have Jack and Chase been playing peek-a-boo?" Raimundo asked with disbelief.

"They aren't." Dojo snapped, "Not if we get there first. And we will. Dashi wants to speak to Jack about fixing his impending fatality. We are but servants to Dashi and the Xiaolin side. And the Xiaolin side wants Jack."

The four monks all gave signs of hesitance but Dojo's expression made them give the mandated nod of compliance. "Good. Now, let's keep it simple, we're going to go to Jack's hotel, and capture him. Then I, Clay and Raimundo will take him back to the mountains. Kimiko and Omi, I want you to go tell Chase that we've taken Jack. Kimiko?"

"Yeah?" The girl asked with wide eyed curiosity. This plan seemed foolishly easy. But then again, that seemed to work for them…so why avoid a perfectly good strategy?

"Handle this correctly." Dojo put as much feeling into his tone and gaze as he could, _Chase will not be please. _

"We will do so Dojo." It was Omi who answered with a serious face. Quickly he bowed to Dojo and pulled Kimiko's sleeve, "Let us go, I want to be there before Chase Young. To see where the best runaway course is."

Kimiko heaved a sigh but followed with a hushed, "It's escape route Omi, the best escape route." Dojo smiled as they walked away, thinking about how even after all these years, so very little had actually changed. Yet here they were, almost full grown adults with so many problems…and speaking of problems, Dojo glanced up at Clay and Raimundo, _Why did they have to have a lover's quarrel, today of all days?_

As Kimiko and Omi finally disappeared from sight into the crowds of Paris, Dojo pulled in a strengthening breath and turned to look up at the two teens who were looking anywhere but at one another. _And I thought Jack and Chase were having relationship issues…sheesh. _

"Ahem." Both sets of eyes looked down upon him. "Listen up. I don't care what happened; I don't want to know either. Keep your personal lives out of this until we get back to the temple safely alright?" Both nodded glumly. He didn't want to be the bad guy, but he would if he had to be. He wanted to go home, back to his bonsais and long conversations with Fung and the other old monks.

Dojo felt a throbbing beginning beneath his forehead at the mention of home, hoping that it would subside, but knowing that it most likely wouldn't. "Let's go then. We need to do this fast and cleanly. No room for error here."

And they did. With all the grace and ease one would expect from the warriors they were trying to be, not the teenagers that they already were. Clay and Raimundo worked as well as any machine, but it was silent and cold, so very much like a machine. Dojo couldn't help but feel bad for yelling. But it had been the only way to really get the message through that this wasn't playtime. It had been easy to spot Jack, and easy to follow him. Easy to get into his hotel room without a single sign of trouble and easy to capture him without feeling the guilt of ripping two people apart in one's final moments of happiness.

Ten minutes later they were flying out of the city limits of Paris towards China. Jack was safely held by Clay's iron grip, Dojo's stomach in knots, hoping that Kimiko and Omi would be able to escape Chase.

But in the back of his mind, behind the headache and the longing for home and Fung, was the sickening sense they had forgotten one loose end.

_Wuya. _

**A**

Wuya didn't like being ignored. Or forgotten. But she'd rather be ignored then forgotten, at least when being ignored you knew that _someone_ was aware of your presence. Being forgotten on the other hand, well, there really was no way of saying how detestable Wuya found it.

She had been so intent on watching the drama of watching Chase watching Jack while the redhead read the letter that had been so lovingly made, she had almost completely forgotten that everyone had _forgotten her_. And when the Xiaolin monks had shown up mere moments after Chase had left to go get ready to meet Jack, Wuya had almost burst out in laughter with the amusement of it all.

_I mean this is better than the soap operas I found on basic cable. I wish this could be recorded! _Wuya cackled as Jack rushed past the monks, even more so as she drifted lazily over the monks as they discussed the plans that were going to unfold. _I would never have pegged Clay as Raimundo's type…then again he always was a whiny little bitch. _She cackled mercilessly as she watched Dojo scold the boys for having a lover's quarrel, wishing she had been there to witness whatever stupid thing had made them fight in the first place.

After a few more moments of watching the monks in their own little drama, she turned away and let the tendril of smoke that as her body begin to drift away. She thought hard about what to do, _the choices, the choices to make_. After all, whatever she decided to do from here would truly affect…everything. It felt _good _to have the power back.

She knew that both Raimundo and Clay would go and capture Jack before dragging him back to the Xiaolin temples and feed him mercilessly to Dashi. Well, not precisely _feed _him to Dashi, more like sacrifice him. But then Dashi had probably been the one to issue the order, and Wuya knew better than mess with an order issued by Dashi. It had been fifteen hundred years, but she hadn't forgotten how powerful Dashi had been. Even now, knowing that he was alive, a shock to her system, knowing the rumors were actually the truth.

But now it didn't matter, after all, she wouldn't be able to stop them anyways. She could go and tell Chase about the plan, allow him to go after Jack, while she handled Kimiko and Omi. She felt a sickening taste overtake her mouth at the thought of the Xiaolin girl and bald monk. Truly, Wuya thought she belonged in a cultural exhibit of a modern museum, but it was better that Omi. The little wind-up doll belonged in the reject bin of a toy factor.

Wuya's brows creased in humor at the thought, and she gave a wheezy chuckle. She drifted through the air lazily towards the clandestine meeting spot of Chase and Jack. Well…what used to be the meeting spot, as of five minutes ago it was no longer so.

_So, the question now is what to do? Tell Chase? Let him go save Jack from…well probably from whatever it is Dashi wants to do, though it is Dashi, maybe it would be better this way. Jack you little punk, who'd have guessed you, of all people, would be such a big deal? Certainly not me. _

She frowned a bit. Drifting in a gentle haze towards the ground, she let the smoke condense into her solidified body, forming a skin tight short black dress with sky high white heels. Her red hair cascaded around her head, her customary bump long gone, and her heavy makeup in place. She smiled at the small group of tourists who stared at her with open mouths and posed when one of them lifted his camera and snapped a few pictures of her. Winking and waving she began to walk down the Parisian sidewalks.

_Hmm…I could always to the right thing and just…forget all about this incident. Or…I could do the fun thing and tell Chase. I think I'll do the fun thing. After all…_but her thought was never finished as she saw the two people she least expected to see walking together down the streets of Paris.

The Spicer parents. Wuya knew they were in town mending things with Jack, but she had always expected that they would be the people that took private cars everywhere. But there they were, clear as day. Both incredibly good looking, so much so that even she, with her ageless magic and beauty spells, glanced hastily in the store window next to her to make sure she looked…acceptable.

_Do I…say something? _Wuya's brow's creased, _I…I should. As a last favor to Jack. Tell them he won't be showing up to dinner. Yes. I'll do that. And then I'll find Chase. This way…I won't feel…_Wuya felt her heart and stomach drop at the thought of Jack's death, and all the damn pain she had caused that wretched little boy. So she pulled the top of her dress up, fixing her already perky breasts to be perkier than a camp counselor's smile, and steeled herself for the very unpleasant conversation that was about to occur.

She quickly crossed the street, placing her hand on her face and using a touch of magic to remove any wrinkles or signs of age that crept through whenever she traveled. Once again glancing into a store window and being satisfied with the early twenty-something looking face that stared back, she subtly began heading towards the Spicers. Mr. Spicer, in his fitted suit looked not a day over forty and Mrs. Spicer in her ankle length empire dress, and signature black acrylics and tight French knot could've passed for a model.

But Wuya sensed the wariness of the couple from fifty feet away, the scent that the superrich always had on them. Of fear, and world-weariness, the scent of suspicion and disgust for the common men that flooded the streets. Unconsciously she wrinkled her nose but straightened it again as she drew within hearing distance of the pair. Forcing a charming smile on her face she waved and said, with all the damn pep she could muster, "Mr. and Mrs. Spicer, what a lovely surprise!"

The couple stopped their conversation and looked up at her, slowing their steps, the confusion clear on their face. Wuya started jogging, in seven inch heels and a mini dress, until she was face to face with the couple, smiling wide she said, "It's so good to see you in person!"

"I'm sorry…do we know you?" Mrs. Spicer said in a cold tone, _oh please you frigid bitch, I've seen puppies that look meaner, _Wuya thought in response to the haughty glare, but merely smiled and shook her head.

"I'm a friend of Jack's actually! Wuya," She stuck her hand out and shook Mr. Spicer's hand and smiled at Mrs. Spicer. "He talked so much about you whenever we saw each other, and showed me your picture too, I've seen it so many times its uncanny!"

Mrs. Spicer seemed to relax slightly when Jack was mentioned, but Mr. Spicer seemed to sharpen, "how do you know Jack, and how did you know he was here. He's never mentioned you."

Wuya smiled bigger, "Well, you so rarely see him, he probably never got a chance," _score for the witch,_ "And I actually live here, Jack called me and told me he was here, I've been with him all afternoon."

Mrs. Spicer smiled a little and Mr. Spicer relaxed, though both were still on edge. Wuya knew she had to say it now, or never. "Actually, I'm happy I saw you…I have something to tell you about Jack."

**AAAA**

Wuya sighed as she strode away from the café table where she had left the Spicer parents, the past twenty minutes swimming around in her brain like a shark in the ocean. _They have got to be the most bizarre and ridiculously dramatic couple in the world, _she thought with disgust. It wasn't that they were bad people, no, and they were clearly trying to come to terms with Jack's uniqueness and be there for their son…but still…

…"_There is a cure for Jack?" _

"_Yes, Mrs. Spicer, and at this moment my friends are taking Jack to the doctor, who I can personally swear by." _

"_But…why was he not found before, we were under the impression that current medical science couldn't help Jack."_

"_This is not…traditional styled medicine you must understand but I can guarantee that by tomorrow night Jack will be able to meet you for dinner in full health." _

"_And just who are you to be telling us this." _

"_Mr. Spicer, as I have explained, Jack and I were close for many years, my friends are the most noble and trustworthy people in the entire world. They're practically monks they're so noble."_

"_Very well. But if Jack is not at dinner tomorrow night we will find you, you understand?"_

"_I would expect nothing less Mrs. Spicer, now I'm going to go check on Jack. I hope to see you soon. Ciao."… _

…As she walked down the street, she pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose and squeezed, her eyes closed. Inhaling through her nose she felt the tingling taste of nicotine fill her lungs. Opening her eyes she saw at the entrance to an alley not three feet away from where she stood on the sidewalk, were two teenage boys, smoking cigarettes, both trying to subtle steal a glance at her low cut dress.

Feeling the familiar bitch smirk crawl onto her face she pulled her dress down even farther until her black lace bra peeked through, and the gentle swell of her magical antigravity bosom even more so apparent. Walking over to the two, she place a hand on the taller one's shoulder and smiled sweetly, "_P__ardonnez-moi,__mais pourriez-vous__s'il vous plaît__me donner__une cigarette__, je n'ai pas__d'argent pour acheter__le mien,__je ferai__tout ce que vous__voulez pour__un.__S'il vous plaît__?"_

The boy smiled widely and flashed a look to the other one, and why wouldn't he? _Pardon me, but could you please give me a cigarette, I have no money to buy my own, I'll do anything you want for one. Please? _What else needed to be said to a man to make him do what you wanted? Wuya smiled as the boy smiled at her and made the obvious suggestion, a kiss for a cigarette. Smiling she took the offered cigarette and lit up, making sure to have both sets of eyes on the heave of her bosom as she dragged in the sweet poison.

Then when the boy gave a triumphant smirk and leaned forward, she smiled and blew the smoke out to the side, and leaned in, and when they were mere inches apart she brought her left fist shooting up and landed a punch square across the boy's cheek. The boy flew a few feet before landing on his side, out cold. She laughed haughtily and looked at his friend with a lifted brow, chuckling as the boy dropped his cigarette and ran down the alley.

Bending down over to boy's form she slipped her hand into his pocket and pulled out the carton of cigarettes, _nearly full…and these are nice, _she thought with appreciation as the smoke traveled through her lungs._ Men, so damn easy to take care of. That should teach you to think with your dick, you horny teen bastard. _She slipped the box between her breasts, adjusting it until it fit snuggly, laughing at her own mean thoughts. But that's what they got for messing with a redhead.

_Demand a kiss from me? Please. _She smirked as she continued to stroll down the streets of Paris. She had taken care of Mr. and Mrs. Spicer, now she had to go inform Chase of the change of plans. And most likely deal with the warlord's wrath over being outsmarted by the monks once again, not to mention being stopped from claiming Jack and ending a very, very, very, _very _long dry spell. An angry, sex deprived, and emotionally stunted beast.

_Oh joy._

**AAAA**

Chase was giddy. Chase Young was feeling _fucking giddy._This was unnatural. This was un-Chase like. This was an amazing feeling. He didn't want this kind of joy to ever end. To think that a silly little mortal had caused all this. It was so wonderfully ludicrous Chase cracked a smile to the empty space of his room. Walking confidently over to the mirror he looked himself up and down with feelings of approval coursing through him.

Chase smirked at his mirrored reflection in the hotel room he had procured solely for the purpose of showering and changing his clothing for his meeting with Jack. This was going to be the most fun he had had in year, in decades. In centuries in fact, and God that was a _rush._Chase straightened the tie he had wrapped around his throat, making sure the dark green was good enough to match his eyes and hair.

He had painstakingly chosen what to wear; or more or less, painstakingly decided to trust Wuya's judgment on what to wear. The Converse on his feet were new, the jeans were black Chanel jeans, and the button down charcoal shirt was fitted and tailored by Gucci. And the infernal tie that had taken twenty minutes to finally get around his neck was a Dior original. He knew he looked good, he looked younger, acceptable to date someone Jack's age, someone his parents would...hopefully approve of.

This human side of Chase, this nervousness and excitement was without a doubt the hardest part of the entire day so far. It had been so long since he had felt all these things and now that he was feeling them, it was both wonderful and horrifying. He had never felt so weak and yet so strong at the same time, it was a very scary experience; Chase couldn't decide if he was comfortable with feeling this every day.

In fact he was starting to question why he was doing this whole thing in the first place. It wasn't like he _needed_Jack. He had gone so long without someone to fill the void of boredom he could go forevermore without it, couldn't he? He didn't have to feel this...jumping of his heart and flipping of his stomach in the most painfully delicious ways did he?

_No one needs that feeling, but everyone wants it. And you're lucky enough to have found it. A rare occurrence no matter the lifetime._Chase felt the weight and sense of those words crush his uncertainties. And he couldn't say he was ungrateful for it. This was a good thing. Jack was a good thing; for him.

Too long had he been living life a cold calculating man, not even a man, a monster. And yes it was true he would always be cruel, and he'd always be bitter and probably more than a little hateful. But maybe...just maybe it could change. To a place where the hatred didn't have to fill every single empty crack in his system.

Could that be what love was? Just a way of keeping the hatred where it was meant to stay? Chase sighed at his reflection. This was too much to think about at the moment. He only had a little while to meet Jack and he didn't want to be late.

With a last glance at himself he exited the room, being weary in case any more Xiaolin monks wanted to appear after amorous encounters. Walking down the hall, he kept up his guard, a habit from the olden days, actually…from every single day except today. Stepping into the elevator he allowed his brow to ease the crease of concentration and his breath to be released from his body.

Though when the elevator stopped two floors above the lobby Chase immediately tensed, though when the elderly ladies entered and began to animated talk in French Chase allowed himself into a more calm state of being on guard. But when he reached the lobby of his hotel without further incident, Chase let his shoulders relax.

"Chase." He turned his head towards the source of the call and saw Wuya sitting on one of the sofas that faced the towards the hotel lobby walkway. A cup with steaming coming off of it in her hands, her dress arranged perfectly and her hair done up; she looked very relaxed.

Except for the fact that she wasn't. Chase could see it in her eyes, she was tense, and that never boded very well for Chase. After all, the redheaded woman rarely, if ever, felt tense. So nothing good could possibly come from this. Even though she hid it well, as well as anyone could, but he could see it. And it made him tense.

So slowly, with a sinking feeling in his chest, something akin to fear, he sat down next to her on the sofa and faced her. Posture held up high, he looked directly into her greens eyes, searching for the reason of her discomfort but was unable to read anything in their depths, and that merely furthered his feelings of fear.

"What is wrong?" His tone spoke of his need to know, and he felt his heart speed with urgency as his brain began to attack possibilities, but the only one of any real plausibility, the one that he hoped wasn't true; _Jack. _"Wuya, speak now, I'm on my way to meet Jack."

"Chase…" She said with a sigh, setting her tea cup down, turning away from him, slouching over and closing her eyes, "you're not going to meet Jack."

Confusion. Anger. More confusion. "What…do you mean Wuya?" He kept his tone inquisitive, making sure that none of his anger or fear showed through, he would not allow these mortal feelings to cloud his judgment. She probably meant that Jack had changed their meeting time, being the lacking-in-time-management teen he was.

She turned back to him, and once again he felt a stab of annoyance at how guarded her eyes were, as if she was purposefully trying to stop him from knowing what she was about to say. He watched her chest rise and fall with the intake of a deep breath, though nothing could have prepared him for the words that formed on her red lips.

"Jack is gone. The monks have taken him back to China to see Dashi."

Chase saw red.

The suddenness of the rage startled him, but the ferocity overpowered the confusion. Never in his life had he felt such a burning anger, not after Hannibal had tricked him into become a beast. Not after Dashi had _betrayed _him, not even when the monks had time and time again undermined the Heylin side. No, this was the kind of deep rage than ran from the heart, even the blackened, shriveled up heart that Chase possessed.

He had been so close to having what rightfully belonged to him. Mere minutes from having relief from this disgustingly human ache being swept away in an ocean of red hair, an obnoxiously loud voice, and pale skin. Now he had nothing. The last half of the sentence didn't even matter to him. He could care less that the Dashi rumors were true, _I want what is mine. And I will murder those monks. _

He couldn't see Jack's face, he couldn't see himself with Jack, could no longer envision himself with the redhead, for surely whatever the monks were planning meant he wouldn't be getting his Jack back. Now all he could see were the monks, harming Jack, harming _his _Jack. Dirtying him with their filthy _do-gooder _hands. He stood and began to walk with the full intent of warping to China when Wuya's voice stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Chase." Her tone was patronizing and it grated his nerves. Whipping around he felt his anger grow at the sheer amount of _bitchy _satisfaction that was all over her face.

He stalked back to stand directly in front of her and gazed down at her with a glare fifteen hundred years in the making. And the hussy didn't even have the decency to flinch. Just look up at him with a raised brow and a gentle pat of the seat of the chair next to the couch she sat on. Without breaking eye contact, he lowered himself into the seat, knowing he wouldn't get anything from her unless he played her game. _God, _how he hated her games!

"Wuya I'm in no mood. Explain. _Now." _The last part was hissed through his teeth and his face twisting into an ugly snarl. Wuya's smile only got wider, though, oddly enough her eyes held a sad sort of anger as well as satisfaction. And had it not been for that fraction of sadness, she would be dead on the ground.

"May I make a suggestion before you go and destroy every living thing between here and China, an impressive five thousand miles in case you care." She had set down her cup and looked at him with an expression so seriously calm it made him want to spit in her face and rescue his soon-to-be-lover.

"What?" He bit the word out with as much self control as he could muster, which at this point was very little.

"Allow me to go and take care of Jack, at least for right now." She added the last part when she saw the look of rage pass over Chase's face at the sentence.

"And why would I allow you to do that for me?" Chase's eyes narrowed at Wuya and she felt the familiar urge to look away but she held her ground. She knew how this could work, and Chase, while a devious mastermind, couldn't be trusted to _not _mess this up.

She looked him in the eye and gave a small smirk. "Because two of the monks are still here, waiting for you to show up for your meeting with Jack, it would seem rude to not show up now wouldn't it?" She watched with an impassive face as the thoughts of seeing the monks ran through Chase's mind, all the gory punishments he could deal them.

"So you're saying I should trust you to handle bringing Jack back to me without screwing me over? Give me one good reason why I should do anything you have suggested." Chase's tone was condescending, and Wuya though she felt a stab of dislike for Chase's distrust, also knew this meant she had won. Chase only ever looked down upon something he feared.

"Because you know that the one thing I can do better than you or the monks is manipulate. I'm sneaker, more cunning, and surprisingly I have fewer morals than even Hannibal." She felt pride in her own evilness grow in her chest, "So let's be honest Chase, darling," Her own condescending tone felt so right, "I can save Jack and have him back for dinner with his parents before you could cough."

Chase growled low in his throat, knowing that somewhere inside him, he knew she was right. "Very well," He said, "I will allow this to happen, only this _once, _after this Jack is my responsibility, and belongs to _me._ Understand?"

Wuya smiled and laughed, her head thrown back with the intoxicating feeling of success and adrenaline at the soon to come battle. "Of course Chase. All yours after today. Now listen to my plan, I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

**AAAAA**

**Soon we'll see.**


	8. Important Notice

**ATTENTION TO ALL MY READERS**

**I have recently made several changes to this story. **

**I recommend going back to the beginning and rereading it, I promise you'll see the changes.**

**And new chapters will up by new's years as my holiday gift to all of you. **

**Xoxo**

**With all my love**

**Imperial13**


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